Picking the Bad Side
by AGKamon18
Summary: Yami Bakura/OC, Marik/OC. 6 months after Bakura's departure, Kayla Kossori runs off and doesn't come back - Bakura does after another 6 months. A duelist from Doma convinces her, and 16-year-old Tiikeri Toroso to join him. Can Bakura get her back?
1. Taken

**AGKamon:** Hey! Welcome to the first chapter of the sequel to Neutral! If you haven't read Neutral, I suggest you do because you'll have a hard time understanding otherwise - you'll probably be completely lost here.

**Kayla: ***still talking to the new OC, who is apparently at the door*

**Bakura:** Kayla, get back in here!

**Marik: **Bring the new girl with you too! So, disclaimer?

**Ryo:** I will. AuraGuardianKamon18 doesn't own me, Marik, Bakura, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh!. She only owns her OC, Kayla Kossori, and the new one we are yet to reveal.

**AGKamon:** Let's get this started! Welcome to Picking the Bad Side!

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

I was harshly shoved into through the large doors that opened in front of me and landed on my knees; the first things I saw when I looked up were a red-headed young man glaring down at me and a blond man who was looking at me with a bored expression. Suddenly, a second girl was shoved in and landed next to me. Her short hair was a dark-orange-coppery color, but her bangs covered her face.

"Alright, mates, here's the deal!" I flinched at hearing the Australian accent of the man I'd learned was named Valon. His footsteps passed by my left side, and I cringed at hearing each one. A greenish glow infected the air, and I looked up again to meet a sphere of light. Surprised, I jumped to my feet and attempted to make a break for the door only to discover it was locked. I settled for leaning against it, a fearful expression was rapidly spreading across my features.

"What do you want with us?" the mystery girl questioned, her voice calm and menacing. She slowly lifted her head to face the three men.

"They want you to work for me!" a voice sounded from the very back of the room. The trio moved to the side to reveal a man with a set of heterochromatic eyes and long sea-foam-green hair, who rose from his chair and walked toward us. I shook, recognizing the look in his eyes. He wanted something from me; Dark Marik had wanted to hear my screams, what could this man want?

"Why would I agree to do that after you kidnapped me? I don't know about her though." The girl pointed her thumb in my direction.

"Y-yeah. I don't want to join you!" I remarked, feeling my fear fade and get replaced with anger. I was angry that I couldn't get free, angry that I couldn't go home, but most of all, I was angry at myself.

_Why did I trust him at all? He was being way too nice to me, being a complete stranger. …Why did I even run away? Marik and Ryo were trying their best to keep my company, but I just couldn't see it while I was thinking about how much I missed Bakura. …I need him now…_

"Oh, but girls, whoever said I was giving you that much of a choice?" the man asked.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, slowly she rose to her feet. She dusted off her tattered and faded jeans.

"You've already seen all our faces," the red-headed man started.

"Either you join us, or we're going to be forced to steal your souls," the man finished, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal.

"We'll give you blokes a night to think it over. Why don't you lead them to their room?" Valon looked up at the tall blond man expectantly. Silently, the blond motioned for us to follow him. The mystery girl took a few steps forward and looked at me, nodding her head toward the tall man. She waited for me to catch up to her before we followed the man. A shiver fluttered through my system as we headed deeper into the building, it was cold. And it grew colder with every step I took; why didn't I ever learn to bring a coat with me?

"Here," the man said simply, opening a door and gesturing for us to go inside. Reluctantly, we both did so, and the door slamming behind me made me jump. My nerves were on edge, and I flinched when the door's lock clicked.

"So, who're you?" the girl asked, sitting on one of the two beds. Her voice seemed oddly calm for our current situation.

"Name's Kayla Kossori. You?" I quickly sat on the other bed before my knees buckled under me; I brought my hand in front of my face. It was shaking like a fragile leaf in the breeze, anymore pressure and it'd crumble.

"Tiikeri Toroso. Call me T." The sunlight filtering through the window allowed me to notice her deep green eyes and the four claw-like scars traveling across one of her cheeks.

"Alright, T, what do you think we should do? I've had friends whose souls were stolen, sort of, it's not a pretty sight. I'd rather avoid it." I let out a few shaky breaths in an attempt to clear my head. It felt as though fog had infiltrated my mind; I needed to rid myself of that fog caused by the mixture of my fear and anger.

"Hm, really? Well the door's locked, and the window's barred. We can't get out; think we should just join them so we don't get our 'souls stolen'? Whatever that means."

"It seems like the best plan, for now. Gosh, I'm so stupid…" I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why had I trusted Valon?

"You seem and look smart to me, what's the problem?"

"I had a friend I was really close to, and he left for some sort of meeting a year ago. I haven't heard from him, and he was supposed to come back months ago. I felt…depressed and abandoned, so I ran off, leaving my two other best friends behind even though they were doing their best to comfort me. Then, like a gullible idiot, I trusted that jerk Valon and let this happen. Hopefully, they're looking for me, but it's been six months…" I felt like breaking down in tears; how could I have acted so foolishly? A little more than a year ago, I wouldn't have given Valon the chance to talk before I was gone, but I was feeling weak. It was so unlike me, but being around Bakura had changed me so much. My emotions displayed themselves more readily, instead of them being buried under layers of metaphoric walls in my mind and heart. He'd broken those walls down, and now I was vulnerable.

"He promised me food. After all, being on the run for two years can let you get pretty hungry." I looked at T.

"Ran away from home?" I asked.

"Yeah, ran off when I was fourteen. I'm sixteen now. Why?"

"I ran away from home too. But I was eleven then, that was seven years ago. I'm eighteen."

"You don't say, why'd you run?"

"Long story, you?"

"Same." I laughed, an honest laugh that I've never heard before. It sounded so foreign, and I knew this was the first time in my life that I'd laughed so truly. I've never had anything to really laugh about, every laugh before now that spilled from my lips was forced.

"We just met and look how alike we are!" I continued laughing, and soon a second one joined me.

_Amazing, the first female friend I make in my life, and I'm in a situation like this._

* * *

><p>The next morning, T and I walked into the main room where the four men were waiting. Nervousness flew through my system, but T looked and sounded calm as usual. She seemed like an unbreakable, stone-cold wall of calm, but I'd been in her place not too long ago, and I'd been able to conceal everything I felt and thought for a long time. However, she was my new friend, and I knew that she would break apart eventually, like I did. I knew that from meeting Bakura, and I didn't know yet whether it was good or not to break.<p>

"Have you made a decision, ladies?" the sea-foam haired man asked. He seemed to be the one in charge, as well as the oldest.

"We have," I started.

"We'll join you."

"Delightful, mates!" Valon exclaimed, holding out a pair of greenish stones in his hand. They slowly rose into the air and became the glow I'd seen yesterday.

"So, what?" I questioned.

"If you can hold the stones, you may join our ranks," the leader clarified.

_So it's a test…_

"Ready?" T said quietly.

"Ready." Slowly, we both stepped forward and instantly felt a strong force pushing us back. However, I knew that if we failed this test of theirs, our souls would be stolen anyway. I felt my fingers brush against the small rock. I took another step, and my hand closed around the stone. The light vanished and I looked at T. Her fist was closed, most likely around the other rock, and there was a strange shape glowing on her forehead. A red gleam shined in her eyes.

Suddenly, I felt something inside me change. My common sense disappeared; all the anger and horrible emotions I've ever felt erupted into a passion I've never felt before that began to rush through my veins like a fast-acting poison. All the better emotions inside me were buried so deep inside me that I could barely remember the meaning of happiness anymore. Only one thought made itself at home in my mind at that moment, and I frowned deeply.

_Bakura abandoned me, he has to pay._

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"Here, Bakura, she left this behind," Ryo said, handing me an object wrapped in black cloth. Carefully, I removed the material and was shocked to find the Millennium Ring inside. I fingered one of the points before I put it around my neck; the feeling of the artifact being around my neck didn't ease the heaviness I was feeling in my heart.

"The Pharaoh let her have it after Battle City, he's trying to earn her forgiveness for when he turned her away. He hasn't succeeded yet, of course," Marik explained, hoisting a small bag over his shoulder. I wasn't surprised that it was purple, all of the Egyptian's belongings probably were.

"Are you finished?" I asked. Marik nodded. For the first time, I saw a truly solemn look on his face; he seemed completely devastated. I had always seen an angry or a manipulative expression from him, but he truly seemed forlorn about the situation we were in.

"Let's go." I was just about to turn toward the door when it burst open. The Pharaoh stood, stunned, in the doorway. His eyes flicked to me immediately and widened slightly; my eyes narrowed at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here, Pharaoh?" Marik questioned.

"Uh, well. I needed to talk to you…" he began slowly, obviously unsure about what he was saying.

"If it's about Kayla, she's gone," Ryo said.

"What?"

"She ran off six months ago. Bakura here returned yesterday, the three of us are leaving now to look for her," Marik added.

"Can I help?"

"No," I snapped. Striding forward, I lightly shoved the bane of my existence to the side as I walked past him and out the door. There was only one thing I was thinking about.

_Why did she run?_ She knew I was coming back, I promised her that I'd never leave her behind. Never leave her alone. So why would she believe I'd ever try to abandon her? I suddenly stopped in mid-step.

"Marik!" I called. That very Egyptian strolled up to me a moment later and looked at me with a curious expression. Seconds later, Ryo appeared on my other side with a similar look on his face.

"Did she tell you about her past?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah."

"She told both of us actually, locked herself in her room for a few days afterward," Ryo added. I could feel my jaw tighten as the pieces quickly put themselves together in my mind.

_She was already distressed…_ Now it all made sense to me. She was already upset about reliving her lonely past; the fact that it had been around six months since I'd been shipped off to the meeting with the Egyptian Gods made her vulnerable. Her constant, but buried, feeling of abandonment and loneliness had corrupted her thinking; her mind most likely overlooked my message completely, and she'd really thought I'd left her behind. But, I was going to prove her wrong.

"Come on," I said.

"But, where are we going to look? She could be anywhere by now," Marik noted. I turned and looked at him, a single eyebrow raised.

"That is true. However, she's a thief, a kleptomaniac; it's in her blood to steal. We simply need to discover the parts of town that have been victims of robbery in the last six months. It shouldn't be too hard; after all, I heard that the crime rate slowed around here since Battle City," I explained.

"That's right. Wait, I remember reading a newspaper article about some citizens being victims of pickpockets, all concentrated in the same area. Let me get the paper, I still have it!" Ryo exclaimed, rushing ahead of me and stopping a few doors down. Frantically, he dug in his pockets before pulling out a key-ring and rapidly unlocking the door.

_He's not as useless as I always thought he was, I guess._

"Do you really think we'll find her, Bakura?" Marik asked, there was a depressing tone to his voice that I wasn't used to hearing. The undertone in his tone revealed that he wasn't optimistic in our ability to find her, but I didn't blame him.

"I'm sure we will. She found us once, now we'll find her." I sounded confident, but for the first time, that was the opposite of what I felt. Even if no one was looking for her, Kayla had been able to disappear completely years ago. Except for the documents from her old life, she'd been able to keep her very existence a well-kept secret. There would be no record of her anywhere, so we wouldn't be able to search anything about her. She was used to hiding and staying hidden; who knew how long it would take us to locate her and convince her to come back…?

"Here we go, I'm so glad I didn't throw this away," Ryo said, holding today's newspaper out to me. The cover page showed an image of a group of men and woman who all looked angry, and the headline read:

**'Serial Pickpocket Strikes Central Domino City!'**

"Read it out loud, Bakura. I can't read over your shoulder!" Marik complained. I rolled my eyes, but I obliged to keep him from whining anymore.

"Fine…"

"**A multitude of Domino City citizens have banded together recently, bringing forth the recent issue of pick-pocketing. Apparently, many shoppers walking in the northern area of downtown, specifically around the Main Street and Kaiba Road intersection, have been victims of this offense. Until now, no one had been able to provide a description or sketch of the perpetrator; however, that has changed. A man who has chosen to stay anonymous has provided both to the local authorities, saying that about $50 were stolen from him early yesterday morning. He was able to catch a glimpse of the thief and pursued them for a short distance before losing sight of them.**

**The thief is a young woman, with dark-blue hair. She has chin-length hair with two long tendrils that hang to her knees. Her eyes were a dark-blue color as well, and her skin was rather pale. We, at the Domino City Times, have included a copy of the sketch on that back of this page. If you see this woman, we ask that you contact us or the authorities right away."** It sounded like a description of her, but I had to be sure, so I turned the page and awaited to see if this was the correct girl.

"Hey!" Marik exclaimed, grabbing one edge of the paper in excitement.

"Well, at least we have a lead on her location now," Ryo said, peering at the page.

"It's a start, but if she's seen this paper, she'll be on the move. However, we'll still check out that area of the city," I added. The darkly shaded eyes stared back at me lifelessly, and I knew we now had a small chance of finding her as that picture was an exact rendition of her face.

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

"Well, ladies, I suppose we should introduce ourselves now," Valon said.

"It would be a good idea," T replied.

"Obviously, I'm Valon, and since I know he won't do it himself, that's Alister." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the red-headed young man.

"Rafael," the blonde stated simply.

"And that makes me the leader, Dartz. Now, I believe we should get the two of you prepared with a deck and a newer set of clothes so you fit in more here."

* * *

><p><strong>Kayla:<strong> *is leading the new OC in* Welcome, Tiikeri Toroso, to the authoress notes of AGKamon!

**Tiikeri:** Well, it's not bad. *shrugs and sits in a nearby armchair*

**Marik:** *sneaks a glance in Tiikeri's direction* Uh...AG, the reviews?

**AGKamon:** These are the reviews of the last chapter of  Neutral, didn't want to leave them without replies!

_**Bloody Rabbit Alice - **_ That would be correct, once Bakura and the others figure out what's going on. Valon's pretty cool, but he convinced Mai Valentine to join Doma used a similar scheme, so I thought it'd fit.

_**VintageStardust -**_Dude, you have no idea how honored I feel to get such a flattering review. I smiled so much the day I got your review, and I hope to see from new reviews from people if you're trying to get others to read Neutral. I hope this first chapter pleases you, and is 'beautifully written' like the last story was. Now if only you could tell my English teacher how wonderful my writing and I are, maybe she'd stop giving me so much homework...

_**katz341 - **_*shakes index finger in a scolding manner while trying to keep a straight face* You know, I was worried you'd lost interest and that's why you stop reviewing! *starts laughing* Ah, kidding, I couldn't scold you! Although, I was a bit concerned on why you stopped reviewing suddenly, but I'm glad to see you're back and were just on some kind of trip. I was busy~! The ideas just came so easily to me, and I'm glad you liked Neutral. Man, it's so weird talking about it like it's over... *Ryo: Ah! *is glomped* Um, thank you...? *is blushing furiously* ~ Bakura: ... ~ Kayla: Bakura! ~ Bakura: Fine. Hello. *waves quickly** Bakura, you'll never change... :3 Kitty face.

_**sorecess of the nile - **_I sure hope you know who the stranger is, there isn't really anyone else who has Valon's accent. No problem, glad to see you're writing! Writer's block is a pain, isn't it? Hope you get over it soon. Of course Bakura's back, he's awesome. What would  Neutral and the rest of the 'Picking Sides' series be without him?

_**Little. Miss. Fortune - **_*Bakura: *is hit on head* What the heck? Blame the Egyptian Gods, not me! Go hit them!* Bakura's trying his best to get Kayla back, but he's a bit too late. There wouldn't be a story if she was rescued before the Orichalcos got a hold on her. Ending Neutral was a hard decision to make, but it needed to be done if I wanted to make a sequel. How am I doing so far in fitting not just Bakura and Marik, but Ryo too, into 'Waking the Dragons'?

**AGKamon:** Thanks to Leixym for adding Neutral to their favorites list, and me to their favorite author and author alert lists. Thank you to Little. Miss. Fortune for adding me to their favorite author list. Thanks to sorecess of the nile for adding me to their author alert and favorite author list. Finally, I have important news!

**Tiikeri:** Oh really? ...Marik, stop looking at me.

**Marik:** Huh?

**AGKamon:** Really! I have uploaded another picture, and it's related to this story, Picking the Bad Side! And, Little. Miss. Fortune, you're awesome for drawing that Kayla fan-art. Anyway, my new picture is basically, what a cover of this story might look like. Go see it, there's a link on my profile!

**Bakura:** I think the new girl-

**Kayla:** Her name's Tiikeri, Bakura!

**Bakura: ***rolls eyes* Fine. I think Tiikeri should sign out the chapter.

**Tiikeri:** I don't care. Read and review.

**AGKamon:** I hope you liked this first chapter and are looking forward to the second one! Thanks for sticking around all this time with me. Also, I'm trying to come up with what kind of decks I should use for Kayla and Tiikeri, surprisingly, I've never actually played the card game even though I love the anime. I don't even own any of the cards or games. Anyway, I'm not sure what I should choose for their decks, and it should be something fairly easy for me to understand. This is why I'm so bad at writing duels! Just, please give me some ideas - seriously, I've been searching the Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia for days now... Well, see you guys next chapter, hope to see some feedback on what I should do for their decks!


	2. Tiger

**AGKamon:** Sorry if I kept you guys waiting! But I wasn't sure what do with this chapter at first, not to mention that my copy of the English dub of the Hetalia: Paint it, White! movie finally arrived yesterday. I've watched it twice already.

**Bakura:** Please move on to the more pressing matters, AG.

**AGKamon:** Right, right. Anyway, I uploaded two more pictures onto my Deviantart. One is of what I call a 'cover' of this story. The other is a picture of Kayla and Bakura - at odds because it takes place during this story - with Marik, Ryo, and Tiikeri chibi-like doodles involved as well. The links are on my profile, so check them out! I also wrote another songfic, it takes place during this story - so I suggest that you go read it.

**Kayla:** Your past is really tragic, Tiikeri. Where'd you come up with it, AG?

**AGKamon:** *shrugs* I thought it up. Yes, you get to learn a lot about Tiikeri in this chapter. Speaking of Tiikeri, why don't you say the disclaimer.

**Tiikeri:** AGKamon doesn't own Marik, Bakura, Ryo, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh!, but she does own Kayla Kossori, and me - Tiikeri Toroso.

**Marik:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

_**Tap. Tap. Tap.**_

My footsteps echoed through the dim alleyway, buildings shielding the ground from the bright noontime sun. The streets were strangely empty and every noise sounded five times louder than it should have; the beating of my heart entering my ears was beginning to distract me. My narrowed eyes scanned the darkened cement as I walked forward, searching for any sign of her.

"Hm?" The hum sounded itself from my throat when my eye caught sight of something white hidden in a building's shadow. My breath hitched as I realized what it was. Kneeling, I carefully picked up the object and let it rest in my palm, bringing it into the brightest area of the alley. Examining it more, I discovered it was a contact case.

"Bakura, did you find anything yet?" Marik shouted from the other end of the alley; I hadn't even realized I'd walked almost the entire length of the alleyway. I nodded, cautiously opening the case only to see that the contacts did, in fact, possess a green tint. I closed it quickly and turned it over. Peering at the bottom, I could make out two, small, delicate-seeming words written there:

**_Kayla Kossori._**

"What is it?" Ryo inquired quietly; I could feel that both him and Marik were leaning over my shoulders.

"Her contact case; it still has her green lenses in it," I replied, pocketing the item and looking further down the lane. A skyscraper with a peculiar symbol on a sign near its peak towered over me; the symbol sent a miniscule shiver running down my spine. It gave off a feeling that it was ancient, perhaps older than the Millennium Items.

"So that's how she turned her eyes green…" Marik mused, chuckling soon afterward. However, I continuing looking at the building's icon. I pointed toward it, drawing the attention of my companions.

"That building, what's it called?" I questioned, a serious undertone overtaking my voice. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that the shape was giving me. It was sending a sense of dread in my direction that settled in the pit of my stomach and wouldn't leave.

"Oh that? Um…I believe it was Paradise, or something like that…" Marik said.

"No, it was Paradius. No one really knows much about them, though. However, they supposedly own shares of every company in the world, so they must be successful in whatever they do," Ryo explained.

"Hm…" I couldn't remember why, but it sounded familiar. Silently, I looked toward the ground again and continued down the alley, looking for anything else. The footsteps behind me revealed that the two were following me.

"Hey, what's that?" Marik remarked, rushing past me and over to what seemed to a small pile of garbage. He seemed to freeze when he picked up something, falling to his knees.

"What is it, Marik?" Ryo asked.

"More of her things, stuff she would've kept in her bag." I kneeled next to the Egyptian and scanned over the items; they all seemed to be some sort of equipment. They seemed to be the type of equipment she used for spying; a mirror was laying on the top of the pile. I grabbed it and looked at the back. A two letter 'K's were written across the handle, and the letters looked similar to the writing I'd found on her contact case.

_I've got a bad feeling about that 'Paradius' building. Her possessions seem to leading us here, and that sign is increasingly suspicious; it can't all be a coincidence, right?_

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

I shuffled through the deck of cards I'd chosen, worries flashing my restless mind; my eyes never bothered to rest upon the small pieces of paper, instead staring blankly at the wall across from me. Subconsciously, my fingers dug into the bag hanging from my belt; I frowned when I remembered that nothing would be there, and I set the cards down on the table next to my bed.

"Why me?" I sighed.

"What's wrong?" T asked from her position sitting cross-legged on the other bed in the room we shared.

"Well, to put it simply, I've been diagnosed with kleptomania, pyromania, and an explosion obsession. Dartz threw out my lighter and the rest of my stuff, and I can't leave to run off and steal a new one." I rubbed my temples; it felt like my head was about to burst. When he'd ordered us to find new clothes that people wouldn't recognize as ours, all of our old stuff had been thrown out while we were changing. Then he locked us in our room, telling us that we'd be let out when the power of the Orichalcos took full effect, whatever that meant.

"Ugh, I don't even have my matches!" I cried, hopping up from my sitting position to pace rapidly along the length of the room. A knock resounded from the door, and I stopped and turned toward it.

"Is there a problem ladies?" Valon's Australian-accented voice rang out.

"Get me a lighter or a box of matches right now. I'm diagnosed with pyromania!" I exclaimed. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest, and it felt as though my blood was burning as it took its normal course through my veins.

"Alright, alright, woman! I'll be back in a bit." The sound of footsteps signaled that he really was going somewhere, but who knew when he'd be back.

"T, can you attempt to distract my mind?" I questioned; my voice had an edgy tone in it.

"How?" she wondered blankly, showing me that, once again, she seemed emotionless.

"I don't know. How about...you tell me why you ran away. After Valon brings me a lighter or some matches, I'll tell you my story. Deal?" I suggested. T seemed to wince, the first sign of feeling anything I've ever seen from her.

"I guess…I mean, it might be good to get this stuff off my chest," she sighed.

"It usually is, in a way. That depends on who you tell it to, but no worries, I'm in the same situation as you, right? If you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't."

"Okay then, sit. This'll take a while." I lightly set myself next to her on her bed. She stared at the tiled floor; I could see a tired and sad look in her eyes, even though her bangs mostly covered them. Her fists clenched and unclenched a few times before she took in a shuddering breath. I set a hand on her shoulder, my eyes softening from their slightly-insane state; she looked up.

"You don't have to…it was just an idea." She shook her head, a small but sad smile beginning to play on her lips.

"No, I need to talk to someone anyway. It might as well be someone who's had a similar experience. Alright, well my family, my entire bloodline, has been in the same business for a long time. There aren't even any records that trace back that far. We were tiger and lion tamers. It was tradition that boys born into the family were to be named 'lion' in any language, girls were the same, but with 'tiger' instead."

"So Tiikeri means tiger…what language?" I inquired.

"Finnish. I respected my family for keeping the same job for so long, but I didn't want to do it. I wanted to be able to decide my future; that was an idea that hadn't been thought up in hundreds of years. Supposedly, the last person who tried to break free was killed. According to rumor, it was an 'accidental' death, he was mauled by a lion. Ironic, huh?" She laughed bitterly, something I recognized from laughing the same way for my entire life.

"That's horrible. What happened to you?" Mentally, I suspected that it had to do with the four scars on her cheek that looked suspiciously like claw-marks.

"At first, everyone tried to convince me to think otherwise before the news of my 'familial defiance', as they called it, was passed to the person who was considered our 'leader', of sorts. My great-grandfather, the 'leader' became my grandfather after he died. I flat-out refused to change my mind, I was a determined little squirt, still am. They used to call me a 'stubborn girl who didn't deserve to be in the family' when they thought I couldn't hear them. But I heard them; I heard the plans they made to get rid of me."

_Her own family was actually planning to kill her? That's outrageous!_

"I hoped they'd change their minds and allow me to pick my own path in life, no such luck. On my fourteenth birthday, I was dragged into the pen of the tiger I would've been taming if I hadn't been so…difficult. I remember the sound of the cage door slamming; they hadn't fed that tiger for days, preparing it to kill me." I shiver fled down my spine, and she bought her hand up to brush her fingertips against her scar.

"I barely escaped with my life. I remember being so thankful that I had been afraid to eat in case they'd poison me; that made me exceedingly skinny. Somehow, I managed to slip between the metal bars and run. I ran as fast as I could, never turning back for anything. All I wanted was to never see another tiger, or lion for that matter, ever again. That was a little over two years ago."

"That's…that's…there's no word for how horrible that is. My story's nothing compared to yours. A question though, how'd you escape with only one injury?"

"Oh, I have more. I keep them covered. There's one across my upper back, one on my lower…right arm, and I believe there's a few smaller scratches on my lower legs. Hence why I wear boots and something that covers my lower arms. I was also careful to make sure this shirt and jacket would cover the last one, but alas, there's nothing that can hide this one on my face." She sighed and turned toward the door with a curious gleam in her eyes.

"How long do you think it's been?"

"I don't know, an hour maybe. Why…? Ah dang it! Valon you idiot!" I jumped up from where I was and flung myself at the door. Frantically, my hands pulled, pushed, and twisted the doorknob with all the strength I could muster before a taunting chuckle filled the air. I froze, liking the way that sounded.

"Where did that come from?" I asked slowly, backing away from the door in fear of something being on the other side.

"Why, everywhere and nowhere," the chuckling voice answered. I saw something flash in T's eyes.

"Ugh. Valon, I know that's you, stop fooling around."

"How'd you know?" the Australian accent faded back into back, causing my eyes to narrow in recognition. T shrugged.

"Where's my lighter?" I questioned angrily, shaking my fist in random direction.

"Ah, relax. I've got it, in fact, it should be coming your way now…" He chuckled again, and I briefly wondered why until the sound of something hitting the top of the ceiling grabbed my attention. Looking up, I saw a small block of said ceiling begin to open; I stepped back, and a small green object dropped into my hands. It was a lighter; a peculiar green design covered the exterior.

"You're lucky!" I warned, quickly lighting up the small flame; my nerves calmed down, and my heart stopped racing.

"So, you were going to tell me about what happened to you," T started, patting the empty spot on her bed, encouraging me to take a seat once again.

"Oh, right," I said absentmindedly, blowing out the flame before sitting and taking a deep breath.

"Well, it goes like this…" I began.

* * *

><p><span>Dartz's P.O.V.<span>

I frowned deeply as I observed the two girls converse; the Orichalcos was taking a strangely long time to effect them. However, I had learned quite a bit more about each of them, reassuring myself that I had indeed made the correct choice in ordering Valon to find them. The blue-haired one, Kayla I believe she was called, would be perfect for trapping the soul of the ancient Thief King. At first, I hadn't expected for him to be in the area, but he, along with the Pharaoh, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler, would make delightful sacrifices for the Great Leviathan.

_Yes, this is proceeding quite well. _I smirked and interlocked my fingers, resting my chin upon them while I listened to the oblivious girls. They were laying out every one of their weaknesses for me to exploit; they didn't matter. One way or another, their souls will be useful to me. The mental conditions of one of them was a very interesting development, a development that could make her extremely vulnerable.

_Now all I have to do is wait…_

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

"…And then Valon found me; I believe you know the rest." I smiled weakly, hoping it wasn't noticeable that I was shaking. I hated remembering those lonely days, even if my family hadn't tried to kill me off, I still thought that T seemed to be in better shape than I was. Times like this were when I wished-

_No, I have to stop thinking about him! He left me alone; I survived without him, and I'll keep surviving._

"Hey, it's alright. I mean, sure my family attempted to murder me with a tiger, but I could never imagine being ignored by every person around me. You must've wondered what the point of living was. At least I had some idea of what was going to happen to me, but you didn't know what the people around were going to do. Whether you'd ever be noticed…that's just cruel…" T comforted. Nodding, I wiped away a tear in my eye that threatened to escape. I didn't want to cry, not anymore. I was an adult now; I shouldn't be dwelling on the past anymore.

"I least I wasn't attacked, right?" I remarked, smiling sadly; she nodded. Suddenly, she gasped. I looked up and did the same.

"What…is that?" she asked, shakily pointing at the green light emanating from nowhere that was floating in front of us.

"I don't know, I really don't know…" I replied slowly, blinking a few times in case it was a trick of the light. The glow didn't disappear; I felt like it was calling to me. It felt like there was a string that connected me to the mysterious light, and the string was being pulled by an extremely strong force.

"You feel that?" I questioned.

"It's like it's drawing me in, is that it?"

"Yeah…" Cautiously, we both rose to our feet. The floor felt slippery for some reason, and I could barely stay upright. Stumbling, T grabbed onto my arm before she could topple. Steadily, we took a step forward, and then another, and another until we were standing face-to-face with the greenish-glow.

"What now?" I wondered.

"Should we touch it?" T suggested. I shrugged, and reached my hand out carefully. T followed my lead; together, we drew our fingertips closer and closer to the light. I noted that it felt warm when my palm reached its target.

And that's when everything went…green…?

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Yeah, that's right - everything went green.

**Ryo:** Have you gotten to the reviews and thank-yous yet?

**AGKamon:** Doing that now, but why'd the last chapter only get one review? Where'd everyone go? Oh well...

_**sorecess of the nile - **_Yeah, Valon's the only character with an Australian accent until Yu-Gi-Oh! GX with Jim 'Crocodile' Cook and Jack Atlas from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. I hate writer's block. *growls* It's so annoying. Thanks for the advice on what I should do for Kayla's deck, got any ideas for Tiikeri and Marik? I'll probably have to do a bunch of research on the game before I write any duels, seeing as I don't even own any cards - let alone played the game.

**AGKamon:** I hope I get more reviews for this chapter. Anyway, thanks to xxpinkblinkxx for adding Picking the Bad Side to their story alert list. Thank you Little. Miss. Fortune for adding this story to your favorite story list, as well as adding Tomorrow, Even if You Break to your favorite stories. Thanks to sorecess of the nile for adding Picking to Bad Side to both their favorite story and story alert lists. Also, thanks I-am-a-kitty. MEOW for adding Neutral to your favorite story list.

**Bakura:** Remember to check out her new songfic, titled Tomorrow, Even if You Break.

**Tiikeri:** As well as her new Deviantart pictures.

**Marik:** Yeah. And we're hoping for more than one review this time.

**Kayla:** Stop threatening the reviewers, Marik.

**AGKamon:** I'm looking forward to you guys reading and reviewing!


	3. The View of Ra

**AGKamon: **I'm so sorry if I kept you guys waiting! First there was my evil history teacher giving my grade a bunch of homework, then there was the rest of the homework, and finally the writer's block! The condition every writer hates, but I finally got rid of it. Yes! *cheers* Not to mention that I started watching FullMetal Alchemist; it's awesome. I was hooked from episode 1; Ed's amazing~! *squeals*

**Bakura:** She's so strange... *is tackled*

**Kayla: ***tackles Bakura* I'm so happy the next chapter's around! Even though I'm not in it that much...

**Marik:** Mhm, you wrote from a new point-of-view again AG, huh?

**AGKamon: **I needed some way to explain a bunch of loose-ends that I was dying to tie up. Writing from her point-of-view made sense.

**Ryo:** I like how it turned out, AG. Tiikeri, would you mind saying the disclaimer.

**Tiikeri:** I don't care. Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn't belong to AGKamon. The only things that do are Kayla Kossori and I, Tiikeri Toroso.

**Bakura:** *attempting to pry Kayla off* Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

"_Where…am I?" I wondered wearily. _

"_You're dreaming," a male voice responded; I shot up from my laying down position, eyes wide, and looked around. Strangely enough, I was back in my tattered jeans and T-shirt when from before Dartz told us to find more suitable clothes. Finally, my eyes met with a pair of purple irises._

"_Who are you?" I questioned, studying the teenager. A dark tan covered his skin, blond hair fell from his head and ended around his shoulders, and his eyes were accented by a pair of black marks underneath them. _

"_That's not important…but…" He sighed, sticking his hands in the pockets of his dark-blue jeans. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously and rose to my feet. His dark-lavender eyes were troubled._

"…_But what?" I said expectantly, putting my hands on my hips and looking up at the tanned boy; I always was a tad short. Of course, he did seem to be at least a year older than me as well._

"_Kayla used to be a really good friend of mine before she ran off. I'm starting to miss her, as is Ryo. …Bakura's not one to show his feelings, but I can tell that he's worried about her. You're around her now, right?" he asked. Normally, I wouldn't have said anything to him, but he had a look in his eyes that made me feel weirdly sympathetic. He looked completely desperate for my help; I should've known there was another side to the story Kayla had told me._

"_Yes, I am."_

"_Keep an eye on her, alright? She's a lot more fragile than she lets on, if what Bakura said is correct - and I believe it is. Kayla…she just needs someone to look out for her. Can you do that for me?" I stared up at him; there was something about him that attracted me. It drew me in; he was like a magnet._

_**Is he real? Or is this simply a figment of my mind?**_

_If he wasn't real, which was probably the case, then how would he know all those names? When Kayla was telling me about herself, she had mentioned a person named Ryo, as well as a Bakura…and someone named Marik._

"_You're Marik, aren't you?" I asked softly. He smiled sadly down at me and set his hand on my shoulder._

"_You'll find out in due time. See you soon." With those words, a blast of wind erupted from behind me, and my bangs covered my green eyes. When I finally sorted out my hair, the mysterious teenager was gone. _

"**Hey, get up T…"** _Upon hearing a voice I recognized as Kayla's, I remembered his request of wanting to watch over her. For some reason, I wanted to help Kayla out, and I was curious about this unknown male._

* * *

><p>"Ugh…what happened?" I groaned, grasping my head in an attempt to sooth the throbbing sensation I was feeling.<p>

"It was that green light, remember?" Kayla replied calmly, walking over to the table beside her bed; she picked up a card on the top of her deck that was softly glowing.

"The Seal of Orichalcos…I've never heard of that card before…" she mused as her feet brought her in front of the mirror. Slowly, I shuffled over to my bed and plopped down on it; that's when I noticed that the top card of my deck was glowing as well. I snatched up the card and narrowed my eyes when they noticed the words 'The Seal of Orichalcos' printed across the top. Suddenly, the sunlight streaming in from the window gleamed off of something on my wrist.

"Hey…where'd this bracelet come from?" I wondered, dropping the card in favor of peering at the golden chain adorning my wrist. A small, green stone was embedded in the gold.

"I don't know, I have this necklace too." Kayla turned to face me, and I caught sight of a green jewel pendant hanging from a gold wire around her neck. The jewel on her pendent and the stone in my bracelet seemed exceedingly similar, but I was brought out of my thought process when the door burst open.

"What is it, Dartz?" my companion asked flatly, crossing her arms. Silently, the sea-foam-haired man studied us for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"So it seems the Orichalcos has finally activated…" The tone of his voice, for some reason, sent chills running down my spine. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.

"Is that why you locked us in here?" I inquired. He turned toward me and nodded briefly.

"Indeed. Those green shards you grabbed during my test, they were pieces of the Orichalcos. I had to await for them to activate, so they could unleash their true potential."

"Then what's this card for? I've never heard of it," Kayla questioned, staring at the very same card that was grasped in her hand.

"The Seal of Orichalcos harnesses the ancient power of the Orichalcos; it can't be destroyed by any other card. When it's played in a duel, it raises the attack points of the monsters belonging to the person that played it; also, the loser of the duel will have his or her soul taken." Dartz shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal; however, from what Kayla had told me, it was something to worry about. Shocked, the card fluttered down to the tiled floor from Kayla's fingers; her eyes widened suddenly.

"You…you expect me to take another person's soul…? I may be a bit mad, but I can't do that!" she protested. I watched as Dartz snapped his fingers, and Kayla's dark-blue eyes went strangely blank; a sinister grin spread across her lips.

"…Never mind, Master Dartz. I think that using this card will be fun." My eyes widened slightly at her words; her voice sounded so monotone.

_Is this why Dartz waited? So we wouldn't have a choice in the matter?_

"Tiikeri, I must assume that you have no problem in using that card. Correct?" Blinking, I decided to lie so I could actually think on my own. I wanted to keep my free will.

"Of course. …I have no idea what it means to take someone's soul, why would I have any problems?" I replied. Briefly, his eyes narrowed before he smirked.

"Very well. Now, ladies, come with me as we have things to discuss." He motioned for us to follow him, and Kayla's eerily blank eyes looked toward me, waiting for me to make a move. Cautiously, I stepped past her and followed the man before falling behind her purposely. I wanted to keep my eyes on her.

"What do we have to discuss, Master Dartz?" Kayla asked. I flinched, even though I've only known her for a short time, I knew that she would never call anyone that on a normal basis.

"Be patient, you'll find out soon enough." She nodded, and then it went silent. The entire hallway gained a chilling atmosphere; the only sounds you could hear were the small taps of our footfalls. I've never seen one, but I suppose this would be a good scene for a horror movie to build up suspense and prickle your nerves. A pair of doors opened in front of us, and the tiles gave away to the red carpet in the newly revealed room.

"Come, take a seat." As I entered the room and daintily settled myself on one of the wooden chairs, I recognized this place as the room where Kayla and I had first met - as well as where we had taken that test.

"Since you're now working for me, I figured it would be polite to explain my plans to the two of you…" Dartz interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them; a small grin was playing on his lips.

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"Bakura, is that you?" a voice that I recognized easily called. I growled angrily at hearing the voice; Marik and Ryo looked in the direction it came from. Quickly, I stood up and turned to face the person; I didn't even notice how tightly I was holding the mirror that had previously belonged to her.

"What are you doing here, Pharaoh?" I spat, glaring at the spiky-haired nuisance.

"The others and I were about to fly to the United States, I happened to spot the three of you." He didn't seem phased by the ice-cold glare I was looking down at him with.

"Why are you going to America?" Ryo inquired.

"Pegasus sent us a message saying that we had to come to his headquarters there. However, I was looking for the three of you anyway because Pegasus sent us three extra tickets. I think he might have had a feeling that the three of you would need to come as well. Will you?"

"No, Kayla's still here somewhere. Why would we leave the country?"

"Well actually, you know Bakura, I heard that Paradius operates mainly out of North America. Weren't you getting a weird vibe from them?" Marik remarked, tapping my tensed shoulder.

"…Really?" I asked him. The Egyptian gave me a small nod, but he seemed distracted from what I could see. His eyes were hazy, but I paid no mind to it.

"Fine then, Pharaoh. Marik, Ryo, and I will come with you. However…if she turns out to still be here and something happens to her, it's going to be on your shoulders," I warned.

* * *

><p>Less than an hour later, Ryo, Marik, and I found ourselves on an airplane, clouds passed beneath me as I stared absentmindedly out the window.<p>

"Hey Bakura, are you alright?" a soft, accented voice asked. I sighed, reluctant to answer.

"…No…not at all…" I replied, slumping down further into my seat. My chin was resting lightly on my palm as I let my mind wander blindly; another sigh released itself from my lips.

"Is there anything we can do?" the other one of my companions questioned. Silently, I shook my head, and I heard a pair of sighs sound themselves from behind me.

_Is this what it feels like to be heartbroken? What it feels like to miss someone? To love?_

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

My sapphire eyes watched him closely; Bakura had certainly changed since he met that girl. When we'd talked, he'd talked so highly of her that I had to think that one of the goddesses had gone down to the surface world for a break, disguising herself in the process. However, once Bakura began to tell me about her life and how she had run away from it, I knew that he'd somehow stumbled into love. Frowning deeply, I allowed myself to reflect back on the words I'd shared the thief only a few days previous to now.

* * *

><p>"<em>Boys, please leave. I have some things I wish to discuss with Bakura here," I ordered. The eyes of Obelisk and Slifer widened.<em>

"_You can't really mean that Ra, being left in here, alone, with the Tomb Robber?" the red Egyptian God reasoned. His blue companion nodded in agreement._

"_Oh come now, boys. Do you really think he could do anything to me? I simply want to speak to him alone. Now…leave." My eyes narrowed at the two as I looked over my shoulder at them; I could see a shiver run through them, I was their superior after all. Nodding quickly, Obelisk and Slifer rushed out the door, the former leaving his helmet behind in the process. Smiling, I turned back to the thief who was staring at me with a wary look in his eyes._

"_How much do you care for this girl?"_

"_Why should I tell you anything? It's my business," he replied defensively._

"_I'm not going to judge you, Bakura. I want to help you. I never I thought I'd see the day when you found someone to be with; I'm really happy for you. Now, talk to me…?" I pleaded. He averted his narrowed brown eyes toward the window and took in a breath before speaking._

"…_The Millennium Items have barely crossed my mind since I registered this strange feeling that ran through me whenever I saw her, whenever she spoke, whenever she did anything. I felt, and still feel, responsible to keep her safe and to comfort her in her times of need. …I have no idea what's come over me, but I'm worried about how she is without me around… …I've never felt anything like this before, and I'm not sure how to react," he said quietly; my eyes widened at his words. I put my hands on his shoulders, causing him to look me straight in the eye with an eyebrow raised in question._

"_I've seen this many times around my thousands of years living. You're in love, Bakura. You've fallen head-over-heels for this girl." His lips parted, and his eyes widened, both eyebrows raised. _

"…_Wh…what?" I watched in shock as a tint of color settled on his cheeks, causing him to whirl away from me to face the back of the room. I let out a small laugh at his behavior. _

"…_Love…after 5000 years of hating the world, I found someone that I…. How could this be? …Why do I deserve to find someone like her…? I'm a criminal…why should the Egyptian Gods present me with the opportunity to feel any emotion related to happiness…?" he said, more to himself than anyone._

"_I always thought you weren't that horrible of a person, Bakura. Even with the entire incident back then with Zorc, I knew your reasons. You do deserve to find love after so long; both you and her have had rough lives. I think you need each other; that is why I'm helping you," I explained._

"…" _He was silent._

"_I know you aren't exactly familiar with the more…emotional aspects of love, so I'm going to give you this advice whether you ask for it or not. When we send you down to the surface again, you should tell her the truth, and then you should stay by her side through thick and thin…"_

"_I've done that anyway. I was the person she turned to for comfort, for reasons that I still can't understand. I'm not really someone who comforts others."_

"_But you were able to comfort her, weren't you?"_

"_Well…yes, but why would my shoulder be the one she wanted to cry on? You know that I believe emotions are signs of weakness."_

"_Indeed, but you still found it in your heart to hold her and listen to the stories she told you about her past. Obviously, you don't believe she's weak."_

"_Of course she isn't; she's quite the opposite really. I may have lost everything and everyone that was dear to me during Kul Edna, but she never really had anything in the first place. Everyone, even her parents, ignored her as if she didn't exist. I can't even imagine how she felt during her entire childhood, and it haunts her almost every night, as far as I can tell."_

"_So, when did you first feel a connection with her?" I inquired._

"_I don't know exactly, but I was…strangely curious about her in the beginning, and the thought of her being hurt has always sickened me. I didn't notice this emotion until I began feeling protective over her, I guess. To be honest, I'm not sure."_

"_And…"_

"_Do you really think I should simply tell her?" he asked; I smiled softly. He sounded unsure, which was an unfamiliar emotion to him. However, the emotional aspects of romance, more specifically love, are something that he's never had to deal with. It made perfect sense for him to be a bit wary of what he should do._

"_Yes. Trust me, Bakura, you simply need to tell her the truth. I understand that she doesn't have any experience dealing with these sorts of feelings, but with some time, I'm sure she'll realize what she feels in her heart. Honestly, if she turned to you, of all the people she met, she must have felt some sort of connection; she knows that she feels something, she just isn't sure what it is yet. Understand?" He turned to face me._

"_I doubt it's really that simple, Ra…" Bakura sighed, looking up at me from beneath his bangs. I laughed, brushing them to the side._

"_It never is, but if you truly love this girl, Bakura, you'll find a way." Smiling brightly, I ruffled the thief's hair; a growl sounded from his throat._

"_You're lucky you're an Egyptian God, or I'd have to send you to the Shadow Realm by now…" he threatened. I giggled, shaking my head and causing my golden locks to fly about my head._

"…_So Ra, when am I returning to the surface?" he asked. I stopped my laughter immediately, looking down at him. His eyes were determined, but they held a hidden sadness to them; he must want to return there soon to see her._

"_As soon as we sort out the details with getting you a body. There were some things you wished to discuss with me as well, right?" I replied; my happy tone faded into a more serious one, allowing the direction of the conversation to change to more important matters than Bakura's love life. Although, I felt that it was fairly important._

"_That would be correct…" _

"_Well, go on then!"_

"_I know that, eventually, the Pharaoh and I will have to go into the Memory World in order for him to regain his memories and go to the afterlife."_

"_Oh…so you already know about that…"_

"_Indeed. However, I can't confess my feelings for her and have her get more attached to me than she already is if I'm going to have to leave her behind later. I can't lead her on like that. Is it possible to allow me to remain in the surface world, even after the Memory World is completed?"_

"_Well…I've never been asked that before, but I suppose that I can consider it. You'll have to give me some incentive though," I said._

"_Fine then, onto the next order of business. Secondly, I wish to have special conditions for the Memory World."_

"_Oh? Is that so? What sort of conditions are we talking about?" I questioned._

"_The Pharaoh's and my past selves are separate from our current selves. Also, both of us can bring along the mortals that are truly part of our social circle."_

"_Like who?" I inquired._

"_The Pharaoh will obviously bring along his lighter half, as they're still connected. He'll probably bring that little group of his that follows him around; you know who I'm talking about, correct?"_

"_I do. Joseph Wheeler, Téa Gardner, and Tristen Taylor are the three you're referring to. Who will you bring?"_

"_As far as I know, there are two who are definite, one who I'm still considering. The girl who I've fallen for, Marik Ishtar, and I'm considering my lighter half."_

"_All of this sounds reasonable; everyone will be their own person in the World?"_

"_Correct."_

"_I've also figured out the perfect way to decide whether you'll continue living after the Memory World…"_

"_Well, what is it?"_

"_I'm not going to reveal it to you quite yet. There are still some details that I must work out with the other Gods before anything is set in stone, but I'm sure that you'll find that it is rational." He frowned even deeper than usual._

"_This is the only reason I hate dealing with you Ra."_

"_Thanks, Bakura. Now, it will take us a few months to craft you a body."_

"_A few months…?" I heard him whisper to himself as I turned my back to him._

"_Possibly a year."_

"_A year?" _

"_So sit tight and make yourself comfortable, Bakura; we'll work as quickly as we can!" I reassured._

* * *

><p>"He's so sad now…" I observed, watching his face as he blankly stared out the window of the airplane. If I had known what the girl was going to do; I would have been more demanding toward Obelisk and Slifer. They were so reluctant to create that body for him, and it took so much longer than I suspected it would.<p>

"I hope you find her, Bakura. I really do." Even with those thoughts saddening me, there was somewhere I was doing good; I was actually able to help. There was a girl, Tiikeri I believe, who was around Bakura's girl quite often right now. Using Marik's form as my own, I'd given the young girl a message in her dreams; I plan to continue doing so. With my immortal sense, I had a feeling that this girl was destined to play a part here.

_I hope she finds a way to help you, Bakura…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon: <strong>Now, Bakura doesn't know how much Ra is interfering; Marik could tell his form was being used for something, most likely due to his Egyptian roots and his connection with Ra, but he's not sure what happened. In reality, it was really Ra who was in Tiikeri's dream, but she took on Marik's form to convince her. Also, I imagine that Ra is in her human form while this is happening, and that's why it took Bakura so long to return to the surface. If you don't know what the Memory World is, it's that RPG-thing Bakura played with Yami at the very end of the series, where everyone got sucked into Ancient Egypt. So yes, that reveals that I am, in fact, going to write Kayla and Tiikeri into that whole thing too. It'll be the third story; first Bakura has to get this mess cleaned up. Now, reviews!

_**VintageStardust -**_Unfortunately, I do not watch Doctor Who or know what River Song is. Anyway, yay, you're still around! *hugs* When you say I'm writing alongside the reruns of Yu-Gi-Oh!, does that mean their showing the Orichalcos arc on TV where you are? I'm not sure, but I could've sworn they were somewhere in the last season by now. The Orichalcos arc was my second favorite, right after Battle City! The Memory World is in third. And yes, I'm so glad I did a good job with Tiikeri. *Tiikeri: I'm amazing? Huh, thanks.* I hoped that ker-plunking' (I don't think that's a word either) her into the series wouldn't mess up everything and create a complete disaster, but I'm so happy that you think I did a good job. I didn't want Marik to be lonely, that's how she came to be; I was careful while creating her to try and make her unique, and it seems that I've succeeded! So, how are my DeviantART pictures and that songfic? Also, need more popcorn? *holds out a bucket of popcorn* Happy holidays to you too! ...I should make a holiday one-shot for these guys; that would be amazing.

_**katz341 - **_Another Hetalia fan? *highfives back* ALRIGHT! Don't worry, whenever someone reviews, I always check out their profile to see if they have any stories I want to check out. After I watch FullMetal Alchemist, I plan on watching Code Geass! (In Dartz's voice: WE WILL DO HIM!) Sorry, I couldn't help it; that's the first thing I thought of. And speaking of flipping tables, there was this kid in my class, and we were playing a game to study for the vocabulary quiz the next day (which I aced), and we lost. He starting blaming the rest of the team, but then my language goes: "Wasn't AGKamon (she didn't really say that) telling you to study the note-cards? So why are you blaming them and flipping desks?" I barely kept myself from laughing because I thought of your review, because this was last Thursday. Anyway, Valon was my favorite character in the Orichalcos arc because Bakura, Marik, and Ryo weren't around; you should watch the season. Greened out, I love that so much. ...And I don't even know where that tiger thing with Tiikeri came from. I gave her the scars when I was her and she got the name Tiikeri because of it, but the pasts - I don't even know where they come from. I think it's because I don't want them to be Mary-Sues, so I come up with crazy pasts that involve trauma, but aren't so weird that they're unbelievable. And wait, what are we comparing? The characters and their pasts, the character's pasts and the past of the guy their paired up with, or their pasts to the rest of the OC's in the FanFiction world? But yeah, apple juice and pickled eggs...it's an original comparison. On another note, how's the next chapter of Exercise coming along?

__**AGKamon** - Dang, those replies are long~! Also, thanks to vanessasky dragon for putting me on their favorite author list; katz341 for adding Picking the Bad Side to their favorite story list; Incendie de Glace for adding this story to their story alerts; and VintageStardust for adding Picking the Bad Side to their favorite stories and story alert and for adding me to their author alerts and favorite authors.

**Bakura:** Those are a lot of thank you's... *has given up trying to pry Kayla off*

**Kayla:** *cuddles Bakura, who gives her a strange look* AGKamon's getting more popular.

**Tiikeri:** That's for sure.

**AGKamon:** I finally have confidence in my writing! *fist-bumps with the closest person*

**Marik:** *fist-bumps back* Congrats for having confidence. *is eyeing Tiikeri*

**Ryo:** I agree AG, congrats.

**Tiikeri:** Read, review, and we'll see you next chapter. ...Marik, stop looking at me!


	4. There She Was

**AGKamon:** Welcome to the next chapter of Picking the Bad Side! And now, I know the holidays are fast approaching, so I've got a treat in store for all of you! I wrote a holiday special for this series; it takes place after the sequel of this story and it's called On the Holiday Side, and it's a one-shot.

**Bakura:** Now since that's over with, I believe we should begin this chapter.

**Kayla:** Someone's eager.

**Bakura:** Quite the opposite really. I don't enjoy how you act towards me here.

**Tiikeri:** Of course he doesn't. Marik, how about you say the disclaimer this time?

**Marik:** Sure Tiikeri! AuraGuardianKamon18 doesn't own Ryo, Bakura, I, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh!. She only owns Tiikeri Toroso and Kayla Kossori.

**Ryo:** Start the chapter! Also, anyone who spots anything familiar here gets...uh...

**AGKamon:** A hug from Ryo!

**Ryo:** Why not?

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

"Why are we here in America again?" I asked, bored with the country already. I wished to be back in Japan; that's where Bakura was. He needed to pay for betraying me and my trust. What had I been thinking anyway when I got so close to him? He was a thief who thought of me as an accomplice, at best; I should never have gotten so close to him.

"Master Dartz alerted me that Yugi and all of his little friends traveled here, as Pegasus had sent them a message…" Valon replied, leading T and I toward a large, gray building up ahead.

"I don't care about Yugi or his groupies. I only want to pummel that ancient Egyptian thief into the ground for what he's done," I growled, clenching my fists at the thought of seeing him again.

"You didn't let me finish. Apparently, three more unexpected guests joined him at the last minute. One was a blond, with a dark tan. The other two were pale, with long white hair." I stopped where I was.

"So he's here? In that building?" I questioned.

"As far as Dartz's sources know, yes." I grinned, cracking my knuckles.

"Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let's get going already." I picked up the pace and walked ahead of Valon, prepared to climb through a window or something of the sort. I would just love to see the shock on his face when I surprise him, or even better, the sheer look of betrayal when I defeat him with my new card, The Seal of Orichalcos. He needed to feel the pain that I felt.

"This way. Rafael left the back door open." Valon's voice broke me out of my planning as he tugged on my arm, pulling me around the back of the building.

"What's your problem?" I snapped, glaring up at the brunet.

"Just look for yourself." I peered around the corner, only to see a small group of teenagers walking up to the building. My eyes narrowed at seeing two white heads of hair and one blond in the back, speaking amongst themselves about something.

"He's here. I can finally get my revenge." I chuckled darkly at the thought. His dark-brown eyes looking helplessly up at me while I waited for the Orichalcos to take his soul. He would stammer out apologies and questions, wondering why I'd do this to him, but I would only laugh at his confusion. At his feeling of being betrayed.

"Let's get inside, first, Kayla," T said gently. Nodding, I continued plotting the demise of Bakura as I followed her.

_This'll be fun…_

The three of us climbed the steps up to the balcony overlooking the lobby, where he would enter. My entire body was fueled with passionate anger, so when I discovered that there was already a duel started in the lobby, I was furious.

"What…what the…? I thought I was going to get my revenge!" I hissed, turning to Valon for an explanation. He shrugged.

"Ah, my darling little Mai was already here from when she attacked Pegasus. It's no surprise that she was able to start her duel before we even arrived." He sighed dreamily while continuing to watch the duel, and I decided to ignore his obvious infatuation with this 'Mai' until some other time; the blonde woman, I believe that would be Mai, dueling the blond-haired, brown-eyed teenager deserved a good talking to about how to get revenge because from the words I could hear her saying, her reasons for fighting weren't that great.

"Hey, it looks like you were able to catch someone's eye." T prodded my shoulder until I turned and my eyes connected with his; they were widened in shock. I could see that he couldn't quite believe that I was with these people. But, for some reason, the look in his eyes didn't give me that sick, twisted pleasure that I was expecting; instead, I felt a pain run through my chest, causing me to wince and grit my teeth.

_I hate him! He betrayed me! …So why do I feel this pain? _

"Come on, T, we're getting out of here," I said, motioning for her to follow me.

"What?"

"There's no reason for us to stay. Let's go." With one last look in his direction, I headed toward the staircase.

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

There she was.

"Why…is she with them?" I asked in a whisper-like tone. I knew, I was able to figure out that this group weren't doing anything good. Kayla may not have been the best person in the world, but she would never go out of her way and join an organization in order to hurt people. That wasn't part of her character, and it never would be.

"I don't know. They're from Paradius, aren't they?" Ryo replied. I nodded. Every time that name, Paradius, was mentioned, a strange feeling settled inside me. What that company was doing, I didn't know yet, but I knew it wasn't good. I was feeling that strange sensation rising in me with every second that I stood here, and it only increased when she finally caught my gaze and held it. She didn't seem relieved to see me, and her eyes narrowed at me, as if she was feeling the exact opposite of relief.

_Why is she acting like this? _

"I need to talk to her," I said while looking at our surroundings, looking for a passage that would lead me to her.

"Hey, where's she going?" Marik wondered. My eyes flicked back in her direction, seeing that she was headed to what looked like a staircase. She glanced back at me before completely turning her back to me. That's when I noticed the door.

"Let's go. They don't need us around," I muttered before going over to the door and opening it. Ryo and Marik were close behind me; we were met with a staircase. Without a second thought, I started down them, pacing myself so I wouldn't tire quickly.

Eventually, I caught sight of another door at the bottom of the steps, and I cautiously opened it. My footfalls were quiet as I entered the large room; there was a single door on each wall, including the one Marik, Ryo, and I had just walked through. Luckily, I wasn't too late to catch sight of her going toward the doorway across the room from us. I ran up to the blue-haired girl and grabbed her shoulder; she whirled around to face me. Her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" She smacked my hand away from her; I felt shocked at her behavior.

_Where's the girl I used to know…?_

"We…I've been worried about you. Why did you leave?" I asked; her frown deepened as I continued to be met with a stone-cold glare from her midnight-blue eyes. She scoffed, as if she didn't believe my words.

"Yeah right! If you were worried, you wouldn't have left me alone in the first place!" The words that were flying from her lips were surprising to me; Marik had said that he did tell her where I'd gone. Her fists clenched.

"Dartz has a mission for us! Come on!" The voice of a girl I didn't know shattered the hostile air. It was one-sided hostility; I didn't have a single negative feeling toward her, but for some reason, she seemed to hate me.

"I can't forget how much I cared for you…" I muttered under my breath, watching for any sort of reaction from her. However, she didn't look back; she didn't even acknowledge my words. Through the open doorway, I could see a pair of motorcycles sitting side-by-side; a girl, most likely the one who'd spoken earlier, was perched on the bike furthest from me.

"Kayla!" She didn't glance at me, even though I knew that she had heard me. The sound of a pair of motors speeding away echoed in the air as I gazed longingly at the empty space where she had been, but she was gone. Blinking in disbelief, I walked to the doorway and peered out of it. It seemed to be a tunnel that led outside; a set of two tire marks were on the dark cement.

"What's wrong with her? I've never seen her act like this." Ryo worried, holding his head.

"Why are you holding your head?" I asked.

"My head hurts. That's all. I'll be fine after I get some sleep, alright?"

"Hm." I stepped into the tunnel, and the air instantly felt colder. A chill ran down my spine; there wasn't any sign that could tell me where they were headed.

_What's happening to you, Kayla?_

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

I breathed a sign of relief as we distanced ourselves from the large building. We needed to get out of there, actually Kayla did. If I hadn't stepped in and called her attention to me, she would have started a duel at that moment. That young man with the slightly spiked white hair, she had told me that his name was Bakura, wasn't prepared for a duel at all. She'd told me everything about him, Marik, and Ryo.

"So, what's this mission about?" Kayla asked, her blue locks flying behind her.

"There isn't one." Suddenly, the sound of someone's brakes being pushed all of a sudden rang through the air. I stopped my motorbike and looked back at her; even with her helmet on, I could see her glaring at me.

"What? I could have been dueling him right now!" she exclaimed.

"Trust me when I say that this isn't the time for you to duel him, Kayla. When the time is right, I won't stop you from getting your revenge," I explained. A feeling had run through my veins, telling me that she wasn't supposed to duel Bakura yet. It was as if an outside force was assisting me in my quest to watch over her; if that was true, hopefully, they'd be able to help me make her see the errors in her ways.

"Why are you being so cryptic? What do you know?"

"Instincts. Mine happen to be extremely trustworthy, and I've always been able to trust them. You should as well; they might end up protecting you one day." Technically, I wasn't lying to her; my instincts, from growing up with my nerves constantly on edge, were better than most people's. As soon as I'd noticed her fingers twitching while her fists clenched, wanting to activate her Duel Disk, my nerves had prickled. That alerted me that this duel between them wasn't meant to happen here.

"You better be right about this."

"I am." Honestly, while I could understand this revenge that she wanted to take against Bakura, the Marik that I'd been seeing in my dreams was telling me the other side of the story. I had a feeling that the Orichalcos that Dartz keeps talking about has corrupted her feelings so that she thinks that Bakura betrayed her. From what Marik's told me, he's done just about the opposite.

"Hey, girls. Let's get back to headquarters!" Valon shouted as he, on his motorcycle, drove past us. Rafael, Alister, and that woman, Mai, followed close behind him.

"Yeah, let's go," Kayla mumbled before revved her bike and taking off. I did the same while reflecting back on the last dream I had where Marik visited me.

* * *

><p><em>I opened my eyes to find myself in the place that I had last time, still in my old T-shirt and tattered jeans. I had to briefly wonder why I never appeared in my current clothes while I was in this dream world.<em>

"_Welcome back, Tiikeri," a familiar voice greeted. I once again rose to my feet and found myself looking at Kayla's old friend, Marik. _

"_Hello, Marik. Are you going to tell me why you keep appearing my dreams?" I asked. He chuckled, seeming quite a bit happier than the last time I saw him. Perhaps knowing that I would watch over his friend had eased his worrying mind._

"_In due time, in due time. Now, how is she doing?" he questioned. I tapped my index finger against my chin, wondering how I should phrase it._

"_Well, she's really…angry. She truly believes that Bakura betrayed her when he left, but she never really went into much detail when she told me about it. Do you mind giving me a little more insight? Besides, it might be better to hear this from another viewpoint as well; there's always two sides to a story," I replied, wondering if he would actually answer me this time or simply give me another cryptic answer that I didn't quite understand._

"_Of course. What do you want to know?"_

"_First of all, how did Bakura treat Kayla? She says that he betrayed her trust when he left."_

"_I knew Bakura before he met Kayla. He was a selfish jerk who was only focused on the Millennium Items and using them to destroy the Pharaoh. Did she already tell you about those?"_

"_Yes. You used to have one, the Millennium Rod, before you handed it over to the Pharaoh. Bakura has the Millennium Ring, and the Pharaoh has the Puzzle."_

"_Good. However, he slowly changed over time after the two of us met Kayla for the first time. At the time, I'd thought how strange it was that he was so curious about her. Something about her drew him in, and I know that he didn't understand it at first."_

"_Why wouldn't he understand it?" I inquired._

"_Bakura's the spirit of the Thief King from Ancient Egypt who's trapped inside the Millennium Ring. When he was really young, he lost everything in a massacre that killed everyone from his home village, except him. So he grew up without knowing what love and all those similar feelings were like. Get it?"_

"_That's horrible. But, back to the story you were telling."_

"_Yes. Kayla would do things that Bakura would normally sent mortals like you and I to the Shadow Realm for, but he tolerated her antics. His interest in her really grew when Kayla and I devised a plan to fool the Pharaoh's friends in order for me to gain their trust. We injured Bakura and had Kayla pretend she was his girlfriend; of course, I was the mysterious bystander who 'saved' them."_

"_Did it work?"_

"_To a point, yes, but not in the long-run. Did Kayla tell you about my dark side?"_

"_Yes. She called him Dark Marik, I believe."_

"_Hm. Anyway, my dark side showed a dangerous amount of interest in Kayla from the get-go. I recruited Bakura to help me defeat him; he'd told me that he was only doing it because he was under 'special circumstances', but after I saw him return to the room they were sharing to comfort her after a nightmare, I knew that this circumstance was that he wanted to protect her. Alas, my dark side made short-work of us, defeating us in a duel rather quickly; Kayla was a witness to our defeat."_

"_Must have been traumatizing. You two were her only friends after all."_

"_So she told you about that. From what I was told, Kayla stole the Millennium Ring, which had been left behind when we were sent to the Shadow Realm, before my dark half could get to it. She then came into contact with the Pharaoh for the first time. Due to the fact that my dark side was after her, she explained everything to the Pharaoh; she then asked for his protection. He couldn't bring himself to trust her and turned her away. That's why she hates the Pharaoh so much. Unfortunately, my dark side captured her before she was able to return to her room." _

"_Let me guess, Bakura rescued her?"_

"_He was the only one that was allowed to escape the Shadow Realm to protect her, so I don't know the details, but he rescued her from my dark side and the two of them returned to the Shadow Realm. I found them again soon afterward. Eventually, my dark side was defeated, and the three of us were free. However, Bakura had to leave." _

"_Why?"_

"_I was getting to that. Apparently, the Egyptian Gods wanted to speak with him. Ryo, who is Bakura's lighter half, and I attempted to keep her company in his absence, knowing that she was terrified of being alone. Kayla and I lived in the apartment my sister had left me, and one of us, either Ryo or I, were with her at all times. She just kept getting more and more depressed, especially when she finally told us the truth about her past. Six months after we were released from the Shadow Realm and Bakura was forced to leave, she disappeared."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She ran away. Six months after that, Bakura returned with his own body separate from Ryo's. We've been looking for her ever since."_

"_I see. So Bakura didn't really leave her on purpose like she led me to believe. I think the…stone must have corrupted her memory and thought process, allowing her to believe that all three of you, mostly Bakura, had done her wrong."_

"_Stone?"_

"_The man who runs the organization we're now a part of, Dartz, gave us these stones called the Orichalcos. We also got these spell cards called The Seal of Orichalcos; from what he told us, when it's played, the loser of the duel gets his or her soul taken. Ever since, Kayla's been acting like a brainwashed zombie, all because she told Dartz that she couldn't use the card. He snapped his fingers and - bam - she's like a zombie now."_

"_What about you…?"_

"_I lied and told him I had no problems with the card so I could keep my own free will…"_

"**We're here, T, get up." **

_I jumped at hearing her voice invade my dream; we had been on a plane to America. Dartz had ordered us to fly there and meet the others so his plans could progress. I looked back at Marik, seeing that his image was beginning to flicker in and out of focus._

"_Well, I'll see you next time, Tiikeri." He waved while that now familiar wind blew, forcing my bangs to cover my eyes again. Just like last time, he was gone by the time I was able to see again._

* * *

><p>I had woken up shortly after that with my mind reeling; Kayla's story now made complete sense to me with the information Marik had revealed to me. I clenched my fists as I heard the bikes ahead of me come to a halt; I did the same, admiring the tall building that must have been our headquarters.<p>

"Not bad, huh? Master Dartz is the best!" Valon boasted, ranting about him having the largest office or something like that.

"Yeah, great," Kayla replied tiredly, yawning soon afterward. She looked exhausted, but it seemed as though her mind was troubled. Her eyes looked hazy, as though she wasn't focusing on anything but her thoughts. I glanced up at the quickly darkening sky above me and smiled. It wouldn't be long until I could ask Marik for a bit more information and advice.

_Let's see what the Egyptian has in store for me tonight…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> For the record, I'm just going to state that the Marik in Tiikeri's dreams is actually the Winged Dragon of Ra in disguise.

**Bakura:** That Egyptian God is such a confusing being...anyway, your replies to the reviews, AG?

**AGKamon:** I know!

_**VintageStardust -**_No need to go into your cave of embarrassment; I was able to tell that your review for chapter 3 was there! In fact, I'm just about to reply to those two.

_**VintageStardust (On the Holdiay Side review) - **_I'm so glad that I can write such great fluff. I starting writing it as soon as I replied to your review saying something about me writing a holiday special. I kind of want to make another OC so Ryo's not a fifth wheel, but I have a hard enough time keeping track of Tiikeri and Kayla. Not to mention I think I took a bit of a risk when I introduced Tiikeri, so I don't want to risk it again. But I can picture him not really minding and being really happy for Marik, Bakura, Tiikeri, and Kayla; he's knows he'll find someone eventually. Happy holidays to you too, thanks for all your awesome reviews!

**_VintageStardust (Tomorrow, Even if You Break review) -_** *accepts cookies* I like updating quickly! I would have thought that 4Kids! would be on the Memory World Arc by now, or at least the World Championship. I guess that's what I get for spending more time writing, watching anime, drawing, and listening to music than I do watching 4Kids. Then again, I'm still kind of mad at them for how they ended 5D's because 5D's is the series that got me into Yu-Gi-Oh!. Rebecca is pretty cool; she's a twelve-year-old college student after all. I don't really go by the seasons, but I go by the Arcs. For example, I didn't really like the Virtual World Arc because it didn't move the plot at all, there was no point, and Marik nor Bakura were in it. I love how Marik and Tiikeri haven't even gotten together yet and you're already supporting them; they need the support because Tiikeri's in denial. *Tiikeri: Am not!* See? I look at the past of the character I'll be pairing my OC with and create someone I think will be able to relate to them, that's why they seem to go so well together. Teachers believe that us students have no lives and have nothing to do with ourselves that are important, so they load us up with homework, believing that they're doing us a favor when it's really the complete opposite. And, do you mean home-schooling? I couldn't do that, I'd miss hanging around with all my friends during school; not to mention that I don't know anyone who could teach me. You'd be surprised, I've been drawing for a lot longer than I've been doing writing like this; everything I draw seems to look adorable. No need to envy me, I've just gotten a lot of practice. I'm glad you liked A Pyromaniac's Past; it was my first song-fic after all. Another fan of Cascada? Alright! I can't seem to find any. And...Tomorrow, Even if You Break made you cry? *holds out tissues* I'm honored that my writing that great, but I'm also sorry that I made you cry. Wait, are you fangirling over the Kayla/Bakura pairing, the emotion in the story, or me? I've been eating a lot of popcorn lately, it's weird. I'm so happy that you like this series so much; I was a bit unsure on whether I'd succeed with this 'series' thing, but I seem to be doing fine!

_**sorecess of the nile (1) - **_Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! My phone, which is what I always check my e-mail with, is an idiot and sometimes deletes things without me noticing since I get a lot of e-mails. I'll reply to it right away! ...It was your review for chapter 2, right?

_**sorecess of the nile (2) -** _Good idea with Tiikeri's deck, animal warriors do make sense. Technically, Marik does not have a deck. On-screen, he is never shown dueling. His first duels are through that Rare Hunter and his other mind slaves, but then Dark Marik takes over before he can duel in the Battle City Finals. I honestly doubt that - even though he was a bit messed up in that season - Marik would have used those torture cards that Dark Marik dueled with. So it's suggested that Dark Marik adjusted the original Marik's deck to meet his own needs. Not to mention that Marik's deck was built around summoning the Winged Dragon of Ra, which he gave to the Pharaoh and doesn't have anymore. Once again, I'm deeply sorry for forgetting your review.

**AGKamon:** And finally, the thank-yous. Thanks to greenluvr14 for putting Picking the Bad Side on their favorites list. Thanks to Mariklover222 for adding On the Holiday Side to their favorites list as well. Thanks to anayu123 for adding Neutral to their favorites list. And thank you to Kuraki-chan for adding Neutral to their favorites list; by the way Kuraki-chan, I really like your stories What You Want and I'm Begging For Your Mercy - just thought I'd let you know.

**Bakura:** You really enjoy replying to those reviews, don't you?

**AGKamon:** Of course, my other story, Love Between Dimensions - which is on hiatus and I have no idea when I'll update it - barely has any reviews and it's thirty-something chapters long. So to have so many people reading, reviewing, and adding to their favorites/alerts is amazing for me! In my gratitude, I reply to them to let them know I'm listening and stuff.

**Marik:** I can tell from how long some of those replies are...

**Kayla:** Yeah, AG loves getting reviews.

**Tiikeri:** She says they encourage to get the next chapters out quickly, not that she doesn't do that already.

**AGKamon:** You're very blunt, you know, Tiikeri?

**Tiikeri:** * shrugs* You created me.

**Ryo:** Anyway, read and review! And be sure to check out On the Holiday Side!


	5. Twirling, Swirling, Whirling Emotions

**AGKamon:** Hey readers! This chapter's a bit on the short side, I think, but I got stuck halfway through and wasn't sure where to go with it. Also, my winter vacation ends today, so the school year starts up again tomorrow. My updates might slow down a bit, so sorry in advance if that happens to be the truth.

**Bakura:** Whatever.

**Kayla:** I don't like it when your school interferes with your writing, AG. It's really annoying.

**AGKamon:** *pats Kayla head* I agree so much. Now, who wants to do the disclaimer this time?

**Ryo:** I think it's my turn. AGKamon doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it. She only owns Tiikeri Toroso and Kayla Kossori, her OC's.

**Tiikeri:** Alright, well...

**Marik:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"Bakura, are you alright?" Ryo asked quietly while the I gazed in the direction that Kayla had gone. I looked over at the smaller white-haired boy, noticing that he'd stopped holding his head. His headache must have cured itself.

"…I could be worse…" I muttered before turning to look at Marik. As soon as our eyes connected, his widened. My fists clenched at realizing that my eyes were broadcasting my emotions to them, but, then again, what would they be able to see? I was feeling such a mixture of emotions that I could barely tell them apart. Frustrated with myself at allowing my feelings to be shown so easily, I turned my head away from them again and let my bangs fall over my eyes.

"Oh really?" Marik inquired.

"At least she's alive…" I sighed as flashes of the people of Kul Edna dying came into my mind. I wouldn't know what to do if she'd gotten herself killed. The way she was acting bothered me immensely, but I would rather that than her being dead.

"That's true. So, can you figure out where she went from here?" I looked up again, scanning the horizon at Marik's words. There were a few, three or four, buildings that I could see from where I was; none of them seemed to stick out. Of course, as far as I could see, none of them had that Paradius symbol on them.

"There's a few buildings out there, but there's no way of knowing which way she went to," I replied. The temperature was steadily dropping, and the sky was beginning to paint itself with the colors of a sunset; there would be no use running out to search for her when it was this late. The sky would probably morph into darkness before we knew it. Although, there was a chance that the three of us could set up camp.

"Hey guys, where'd you go?" the voice of one of the Pharaoh's friends, Joey I believe, traveled into the room.

"We saw Kayla and followed her," Marik remarked.

"…Kayla…? Oh, you mean Mona?" The Pharaoh walked in behind the blond with a sigh.

"I told you already, Joey, her real name is Kayla. That entire Monique fiasco was a trick. Wait, so you did see her?" The Pharaoh turned away from Joey and back to us as I stepped back into the room, having had enough of the cold air for now.

"Yes, but she's different now. It's strange, but she seems to despise me," I said.

"She didn't even spare us a glance," Ryo added.

"I don't know how close…Kayla was to the three of you, but the same kind of thing happened to Mai, I think," Joey commented.

"Not to mention that they were both with those three men. I have a feeling that they've gotten themselves involved in something extremely dangerous," the Pharaoh concluded.

"Now, I believe that all of them have gone in that direction…" I pointed through the doorway and toward the roads and buildings.

"However, it's getting late. We also have no way of knowing which of them they went to," Ryo stated.

"Do you have any other information you would like to share with us?" the brown-eyed blond asked, looking at us suspiciously, as if we had been part of turning his friend, Mai, against him.

"We're all sure that the company Paradius is involved. Back in Japan, we found all of Kayla's belongings abandoned outside of their building. Also, as far as we can tell, Kayla was living in that area shortly before all this chaos began. It all adds up to them being part of this," Marik explained.

"That is why I was considering that the three of us gather some supplies and head out in that direction tonight. I wish find her sooner rather than later," I said. My companions gave me a shocked look, but that soon faded and they nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't sound unreasonable. At least one of you should come with us to get some provisions, the remainders should stay here and wait. Does that sound fine?" the Pharaoh suggested.

"Yeah, that's good. Marik or Ryo, which one of you want to go with them for now?" I inquired.

"I will," Marik offered. I nodded, and he left with the Pharaoh and his friend.

"This won't be as easy as we hope, will it?" Ryo whispered. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Of course not."

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

"So Bakura really cares about this chick, huh?" Joey asked with a sly smirk crossing his features.

"It's none of your business," I replied, glaring up at the taller blond.

"Oh really? I guess that makes sense…" he mused. I didn't like the mischievous look in his eyes, but I had to go with him and the Pharaoh in order to gather some supplies.

"Is there anything else that you've found out about this Paradius organization?" the Pharaoh questioned.

"There's nothing that we know for certain yet. Besides, our goal is bring Kayla back to her senses; it has nothing to do with your problems. Why? Do you have anything to tell us?"

"There is one thing; what about that card? The Seal of Orichalcos?" Joey wondered.

"What about it?" I questioned, not knowing where he was going with this conversation.

"Well, if it's played, the loser of the duel has their soul taken. I suggest that the three of you keep on your toes if any of you end up dueling her. If what you said about her behavior is accurate, then there is no doubt in my mind that she is in possession of that card," the Pharaoh explained.

"I'll be sure to warn the others. Thanks for telling me," I remarked. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being talked about, as if there was another one of me speaking to someone else. I looked up into the darkening sky and thought it over.

_But, that's ridiculous, right?_

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

I frowned, disappointed the Slifer and Obelisk had ordered me to stay out of Bakura's sight until it was completely necessary for him to know what I was doing. It didn't make any sense, but when the two of them teamed up, they could overrule one of my decisions. I had originally planned to reveal myself to Bakura whenever I had the chance to do so; besides, if we were able to communicate, then Bakura could talk to Tiikeri through me.

_Thinking of which, I need to visit her again tonight…_ However, the thought rolled itself around in my head; did I really need to visit the girl every night? As far as I could tell, there wasn't much she'd be able to tell me this time around; there wouldn't be very much of a point to travel into her dreams tonight. Not to mention that I should allow her to enjoy her sleep sometimes, without having to think and converse with me. Then again, I had told her that I would visit again soon.

"I need some rest too…I guess I could visit her shortly tonight." I yawned, popping one of my wrists as I activated the ancient magic. My long golden hair shortened and turned into a sandy-blonde color. Eventually, my feminine body faded into the form of the seventeen-year-old Egyptian boy. I didn't enjoy being in this body; it felt extremely strange to me, being a male instead of my normal female gender.

_But I wish to assist Bakura, and if this is what has to be done, then so be it. _With that thought, I vanished into the multi-colored sky that was slowly fading into darkness to visit the copper-haired girl once again.

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

"I'm back, let's get going!" I shouted, closing the door behind me. Ryo and Bakura turned to me; the former smiled slightly at my return and at seeing the important supplies I was carrying with me.

"I'll take one of those, Marik," he offered. Nodding thankfully, I handed him the lighter of the pair of bags I was lugging. Bakura was holding the sack I'd originally taken with me.

"Which building should we head for first?" Bakura wondered, gazing out at the buildings that were outside. He was standing outside the now-open door with a distant look in his eyes. I strolled out to stand next to him, and Ryo did the same.

"Well, they'd want to stay at the one that people would most likely not go to, right?" I determined.

"No, most likely the opposite. Remember, they're working under Paradius. That company is extremely powerful and almost no one would suspect it of being involved in something so horrible. Also, the building must have some sort of garage because Kayla and that other girl rode away on a pair of motorcycles, and it wouldn't surprise me if the other members of this organization use a similar form of transportation. I think that, for now, we should stick close to the road…" Ryo explained.

"I see. We'll be closer to the buildings and will be able to tell which one looks the most promising. What do you think, Bakura?" I remarked, turning toward the white-haired Egyptian.

"That sounds reasonable. Let's go; I want to be able to get as far as we can before we have to set up camp," he replied, walking forward, down the road. Shrugging, I followed close behind, with Ryo walked behind me. We stuck to the side of the road, and, if the circumstances were different, I would have been admiring the scenery. However, I was a bit concerned about Bakura; he seemed really troubled by Kayla's behavior.

"Oh! The Pharaoh wanted me to pass along a message!" I realized, mentally scolding myself for almost forgetting such an important warning.

"What is it?" Ryo inquired, picking up the pace in order to walk along with me. Bakura looked over his shoulder and nodded, showing that he was listening as well.

"Apparently, there's this card called The Seal of Orichalcos. When it's played in a duel, the loser gets their soul taken. The Pharaoh and his friend suspect that it's responsible for changing the demeanor of their friend, Mai. He also thinks that, with Kayla drastic behavioral change, she is in possession of one of these cards as well," I explained.

"It doesn't erase the fact that she said those words to me; she didn't even seem to care that we'd come looking for her," Bakura sighed.

"Yeah, but it's not our fault. It's that card!" Ryo said. Deciding not to respond, Bakura just sighed once more and looked up at the sky. I glanced upward as well, noting that it was beginning to get hard to see with how dark it was now.

"We should set up camp now. It doesn't make any sense to continue walking when the two of you can barely see," he said, setting down the bag he was carrying. Ryo set his down too, and I followed suit.

The next few hours were spent making and maintaining our little fire as well as having a small meal. None of us were really in the mood for eating anything, but if we were going to find Kayla and rescue her from this organization, we needed to be at full-strength.

"Hey Bakura, are you feeling alright?" I asked softly, sitting next to him. Ryo had fallen asleep a few minutes ago, and the fire was still going strong. Bakura was watching the dark sky with eyes so filled with emotion that it was shocking. Seeing those whirling emotions in the eyes of anyone else would have concerned me, but it was downright surprising to see them in Bakura's eyes.

"I…I'm not sure, honestly…" he replied. His voice was as rough as it usually was, but there was a certain undertone in it that saddened me.

"How do you feel?"

"…I suppose empty would be the most-fitting word, but I feel as if I'm stuck in a whirlpool of emotions. It almost reminds me of how I felt back in Kul Edna…" I subconsciously tilted my head in confusion, wondering what Kul Edna could be.

"Kul…Edna?" I questioned.

"It's where I was born in Ancient Egypt. However, the Pharaoh had ordered his men to kill everyone there one night; they were melted down and used to create the Millennium Items. I was the only survivor." I suddenly wished that I hadn't asked him at all.

"The Pharaoh we know now?"

"No. His father, but I cannot blame him. He has already perished, but I remember feeling a similar mixture of feelings back then." I frowned, now realizing why Bakura was so determined to forge revenge against the Pharaoh.

"I wish I could do more to help, but at least she's not gone for good, right?" I said, attempting to get his mind off of the loss of his people. He had to look on the brighter side, like I was trying to do.

"I guess, but I can't get her words out of my mind."

"Look on the bright side, we have an idea of where she is, and she isn't gone forever. We'll get her back, Bakura, you'll see." I rose to my feet, yawning as I did.

"I know we will, but you should rest." He looked up at me, shooing me in Ryo's direction.

"But…" It seemed as though he had no intention of sleeping tonight.

"I can't sleep just yet; my mind's still whirling. Perhaps I'll be able to later." I sighed, before settling myself on the ground. It was cold, but it'd have to do for tonight. Before my eyes closed, I cast one more glance at Bakura; he was still watching the starry night sky. There was one thought that wouldn't flee from my mind while I slept and my dreams came and went.

_We better get Kayla back; Bakura needs her…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Well, I want to get right to replying to the reviews!

**Bakura:** Someone's eager...

**AGKamon:** I got three reviews this time, of course I am!

_**sorecess of the nile - **_I'm so glad! *happily takes cookies, only to have them stolen away by Kayla* I'll get some of those back later. I got all the decks planned out and written up anyway, so all I have to do now is write until I come to the point where Marik and Tiikeri duel, as well as when Bakura and Kayla duel. Then I'll have to write those. Is this update soon enough for you?

_**katz341 - **_Thanks, I'm happy to have you reviewing my chapters again! *Ryo: Uh sure... -hugs-* Have you read Tomorrow, Even if You Break? It's one of my one-shots related to this series, and one of the points in there is really similar to a conversation from the last chapter. Also, I think that the regular Marik would eventually figure out how to wrap a gift, but I now have the vision of the Abridged Marik attempting to wrap presents. That would be hilarious; that's how I pictured your comment. Marik with his Abridged voice fighting with the wrapping paper and tape. I would love that so much if LittleKuriboh did a video like that, and I will keep rocking!

_**Kuraki-chan - **_Thanks; I've been a fan of What You Want before I even started Neutral, so it means a lot that you think my writing so amazing. Wait, you have a OC named Kayla too? That's the third one I've heard of, in the Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction world; how strange. Which story is that? What You Want has Virah, Miri, as well as all of Virah's other personalities. The Broken has Shadow and Lizzie, and I'm Begging You For Mercy has Kassarra. I don't remember reading about a Kayla. Anyway, Kayla's pyromania and kleptomania were some traits I had always had in my mind for her. I like putting humor in my stories, but there has to be drama to keep the readers interested, right? I didn't want the tone of Neutral to suddenly shift, so I'm glad that I succeeded in easing the story into it's dramatic points. So I'm doing okay with this story too? What do you think about Tiikeri? I like to keep people guessing, it makes reading stuff interesting. Sweet, I don't mind spoilers, as long as no one spoils the ending. I'm glad to hear that you'll hopefully be able to update soon. Is this update soon enough for you? *Kayla: Hey, more OC's! Come on, Tiikeri! ~ Tiikeri: Huh? Oh cool. ~ Kayla: -is currently chatting endlessly to Shadow and Virah while Tiikeri watches, occasionally inputting a sentence or two-* Kayla's never met OC's from another story; I hope she doesn't annoy them too much.

**AGKamon:** Also, thanks Kuraki-chan for adding me to your favorite authors, author alerts; and thanks for Picking the Bad Side to your story alerts and favorite stories. Also, thanks to DarkShadowRose1 for adding Tomorrow, Even if You Break to your story alerts and for adding this story to your story alerts.

**Kayla:** I'm glad I got to meet someone else's characters! *smiling brightly*

**Tiikeri:** It was...interesting, but I think you talked too much, Kayla.

**Marik:** Oh! AG, we have 9 reviews now!

**Ryo:** Yeah, that means whoever reviews next gets the honor of being the one who submits the tenth review.

**AGKamon:** Alright!

**Bakura: **Yeah, so read and review. If you review quickly, you might be number ten.


	6. The Great Leviathan's Words

**AGKamon: **I'm back again! You know, I actually like the way this chapter came out.

**Bakura:** Huh. Congrats. *really doesn't care*

**Kayla:** Bakura! Be nice!

**Marik:** *chuckles* I think Bakura should have to say the disclaimer for that. Right Tiikeri?

**Tiikeri:** I don't care. Go ahead.

**Bakura:** *growls* AGKamon doesn't own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!, she only owns her OC's, Kayla Kossori and Tiikeri Toroso.

**Ryo:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

Fuming.

That'd be a good word to describe Kayla's current mood.

"What do you mean, Dartz? Why won't you let me duel that traitor?" she shouted, planting her hands palm-down on the large table before us. The man shook his head while a tired expression took over his features for a moment, but he then looked at us with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"It's extremely dangerous for two Seals to be activated in such a close proximity. You made a wise decision, Tiikeri, in preventing her from dueling," he replied.

"Thank you, sir," I said. Kayla let out a frustrated sound, it reminded me of something between a sigh and a growl, as she stormed out of the room. I watched her leave; she seemed to be growing increasingly unstable as her time under the Orichalcos' influence grew. It worried me because I had no idea what she would do when she completely broke down. However, I was able to catch sight of the wicked grin spreading across Dartz's lips as I followed the blue-haired girl out.

"Why do you insist on following me around? I'm not your keeper or anything!" Kayla growled, whirling to face me while we were in the hall. There wasn't another person in the hallways, so her shouts echoed through the empty space.

"I wish to watch over you, to make sure that you don't do anything that you'll regret." She glared down at me, her fists clenching and unclenching as she breathed.

"Why?" The word was spoken in a shaky voice, as if she wasn't sure how to react, but I could feel a layer of bitterness underneath the surface.

"Because, quite honestly, you're like an older sister to me. We've been through similar experiences, with both of us running away from our difficult lives at a young age. It feels like an instinct to me," I explained. I had never had a role model, and she, before the Orichalcos came along, must have been a pretty great person to be around. That was even with the harsh past she had lived through; I admired her strength.

"…You shouldn't admire someone like me; there's nothing good about me…" Her tone started out soft, as if there was a softer, less angry, side still remaining in her. However, I could feel the furious nature kicking in as she began to demean herself. She grit her teeth, and her voice seemed a bit deeper, it almost had a darker feeling to it, when she spoke again.

"You were just a crutch. I never really wanted you around. Leave me alone." The words hit me hard, and I felt my respect for her crumbling. She couldn't mean that; she had always treated me like a sister, or at least, what I thought sisters treated each other like. She had listened intently when I talked about my past, and she had spilled everything about her history as well. So, she couldn't mean that, right?

_Right?_

"Get Valon to give you a room of your own." I barely registered it as her footsteps sounded around me. She was walking away, and I had no idea how I could help her now.

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

I turned the corner before leaning against the wall, grasping my head with my left hand.

"What…was that? Why did I say that?" I questioned myself, wishing I had the answer. I would never think of leading someone's feelings along, making someone think that I was their friend, only to tell them to leave me alone a while later.

_**What are you talking about? Of course you would; it seems as though you are just as low as that guy, the King of Thieves, was it?**_

I jumped, frantically looking around for the source of the voice. It didn't sound familiar at all, but there was a part of me that seemed to recognize it. I felt as if the voice was coming from something ancient, something that I knew.

"Who…who's there?" I asked quietly. I clutched my head with both my hands now, wondering whether I was crazier than the doctors had told me.

_**I am the Great Leviathan, there is a piece of me living inside each of the Orichalcos stones. By accepting the Orichalcos into your existence, you have allowed me to interfere with your thoughts at any time. **_

"Why are you in my head?" I whimpered, my hands' grip on my head tightening as I spoke. I only realized how strange the words sounded after I had said them.

_**You are conflicted, little one. I am your new voice of reason, and I will always steer you correctly. You can trust my judgment; I will never allow you to be hurt. I know what the King of Thieves did to you, don't you want revenge?**_

"Of course. He betrayed me!" I rushed into my room, closing and locking the door behind me.

_**Then you do not want petty things like friends weighing you down. That girl will only hinder you. You do not have the heart to strike anyone down yet, so I did the deed for you. **_

"Okay…so I just have to follow your advice, and I'll be able to get my revenge, right?" I mumbled. Subconsciously, I fingered the Orichalcos pendant hanging from the cord around my neck; I knew that I was a bit insane, but I never thought that I'd be speaking with another mind, another being, who only I could hear. I suddenly realized how Ryo-

_No! He isn't any better than Bakura! I can't think about him!_ I shook my head, attempting to rid my mind of the thoughts involving the trio who I used to trust. There was only one other being that I could trust now, and that was the Great Leviathan. It would steer me correctly in life; I didn't need to worry about being hurt anymore.

_**That is the idea, child. Trust me and my advice, everything will end in your favor if you do. What do you say? Will you listen to me?**_

"…Yes."

_**Delightful. Now, I do have some advice for you now...**_

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

I didn't feel tired in the least even though I didn't sleep at all last night. It was strange, but I didn't feel so heartbroken anymore. I still felt that burning pain, but I was taken over by a sense of determination to snap her back to her senses. However, those thoughts left my mind as the pair of buildings towered over me; we had already investigated the other two. None of them had the Paradius symbol on them or in them, so it was anyone's guess which one she would be in.

"Which one do you think we should check now?" Marik asked, fanning himself with a fan he'd constructed out of a paper he'd found in the last building. Admittedly, the temperature felt warmer than it had yesterday, but it didn't bother me. I can only assume that I've built up a resistance against the heat due to my days living in Ancient Egypt.

"It doesn't matter. We'll find her anyway," I replied, mentally comparing the two. Both of the structures were equally rundown; the paint was peeling and, if they were anything like the other two, the interiors would be filled with dust and decaying objects of various origins. All of the buildings had small garages in the back.

"Then let's pick randomly!" Ryo concluded. Chuckling, he placed a hand over his eyes before he spun himself in a circle. Extending a hand, he pointed toward the building on the left. He removed his hand from his eyes and smiled.

"Let's check that one!" I nodded, wondering how he was so cheerful at a time like this. Then again, he used to be my other half, also my reincarnation, it seems that our other halves are our polar opposites. It did have some logic to it if he was joyful while I was not.

_Now his complete innocence makes perfect sense._ I pushed open the door that was in the process of falling off its hinges, relishing in the cool feeling of the shelter that the building was providing to hide us from the sun.

"It doesn't look like anyone's here…" I muttered, disappointed that we had once again selected the wrong structure.

"Well, let's go up a few floors, maybe this first one is simply a façade," Ryo suggested.

"Alright," Marik agreed, turning to me for input.

"Sure."

As we made our way up the rickety staircase, the steps creaked every time we moved, I got an increasing sense of dread that settled in my stomach. It seemed so familiar, and the realization hit me like a speeding car.

"This is it," I whispered as I approached the door ahead of me. Compared to the rotting interior we'd previously, this entrance seemed almost brand new. It only made me more sure that this was the building we'd find her in.

"Are you sure?" Marik questioned. I grasped the golden doorknob with my hand, twisting it slowly. Cautiously, I pressed my ear to the wood, listening for a sound to be wary of. There wasn't a sound to be heard.

"Absolutely. Are the two of you ready? There's no telling what'll happen when we get in there; if you wish to turn back now, I won't hold it against you." I looked back at them. Marik's dark-lilac eyes shone with determination, and the smirk growing on his lips proved how confident he was. Ryo, on the other hand, seemed extremely worried and nervous, but there was a certain gleam in his eyes that convinced me that he wouldn't show his fear.

"I'm coming with you, buddy," Marik remarked, giving me a self-assured grin.

"Me too. Let's go," Ryo added. I nodded and carefully pushed the door open, prepared for a mass of guards to come rushing toward me.

There weren't any.

However, the decorations in the room assured me that I had made the correct decision; on a sign hanging above a portrait depicting a man with sea-foam-colored hair the Paradius symbol stood out to me. The man's gold and green eyes stared blankly out across the richly decorated room before us; a red carpet with gold-colored details covered the floor, and a table spanning the length of the room was directly in front of me. A lone chair sat at the other end of the table; it was currently empty.

"This seems suspicious…" Ryo mumbled, just loud enough for me, and probably Marik, to hear. I had to agree; this had to be the Paradius headquarters here in America, so I had to expect that they had some sort of security. After all, this business was doing something truly sinister unbeknownst to the general public; they had to have some way to protect all of their secrets.

"I agree. We need to find Kayla quickly and get out of here before something happens," I said. There were three hallways leading out of this room, including the doorway we'd just walked through.

"Which way?" Marik wondered.

"Does it really matter? I have feeling that we'll find her either way," I replied. The horrible feeling that I was getting from this place was simply growing with every second I stood here

"How about left then? I picked left last time, and it turned out to be the correct choice," Ryo reasoned.

"It doesn't matter to me, but let's get going." I led the two down the hallway to our left, and that's when I really realized how difficult this task would be. There was a staircase in front of me, and it would lead us down, underground, most likely. I turned, looking down the other hallway; I was able to spot another similar set of stairs in it as well. Shrugging, I started down the steps, being careful about where my feet landed, as with every step I went down, it continued to get darker and darker.

"You still there, Bakura?" Marik asked quietly.

"Yeah. Ryo?" I squinted my eyes, this was too dark for my liking, even for me. However, I thought I could see a light up ahead.

"I'm here!"

"Good, because I think I see light a few stairs down." We soon found ourselves looking through a doorway without a door; a vast amount of hallways were in front of us. I couldn't even see the end of the hallway we were stepping into, and there was another passageway everywhere I looked.

"Whoa…" Ryo breathed, eyes wide.

"Well, Ra certainly isn't giving us any mercy," Marik muttered bitterly, glaring down one of the halls. I sighed before I spoke up.

"There's a million passages, but we don't know where to start. It's like a labyrinth in here."

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

"_Marik, what am I going to do?" I questioned the Egyptian, looking up at him. After Kayla had talked to me, I had asked Valon to give me a new room. While he had given me a questioning look, the Australian had lead me to a another room. I didn't even have to go back to the old room I'd shared with her because I didn't have any other possessions besides the clothes I was wearing and my deck, which I kept with me. As soon as I had entered my new room, I'd collapsed on the bed and fallen asleep. _

"_Hm, well this is difficult…" he mused. The first thing I'd done when I entered this dream world of mine was call for Marik; he'd arrived quicker than I thought he would, almost like he was waiting for me. However, I hadn't dwelled on it because I had instantly started telling him everything that had happened recently with Kayla._

"_She can't mean what she said, right? Kayla doesn't seem like the type of person who would say stuff like that!" I reasoned, more attempting to convince myself instead of him. Normally, I wouldn't show so much emotion around anyone, no matter what the situation, but Marik seemed different to me. I didn't feel like I had to worry about him hurting me or accusing me of being weak; I felt like I could trust him._

"_No, she doesn't mean it. I'm sure that there's a third party playing a part here. There has to be something that's taken over her common sense," Marik determined. He nodded, as if it would backup his conclusion._

"_That's what I thought, but I couldn't convince myself. There was a little part of me that had its doubts…" I sighed, wringing my hands together in anxiety. There was a peculiar feeling of nervousness hanging in the air, as if he was worried about something._

"_Is something wrong, Marik?" I inquired. He jumped, looking down at me with slightly widened eyes; the black marks beneath his eyes seem to stand out even more because of his expression. It kind of made him look, cute. _

"_It's nothing. I'm simply worried about whatever you and Kayla have gotten yourselves involved in; I have this sinking feeling that whatever is affecting Kayla is going to come after you next," he admitted._

"…_What?" I breathed, shocked at his thoughts. Kayla was a bit unstable; I was sure that all of this was just her sanity, or lack of it, afflicting her. There was some outside force bothering her?_

"_Yes, I believe that this Orichalcos the two of you have gotten has something to do with it. I'm sure of it…" Marik continued. He narrowed his eyes, seeming extremely deep in thought._

"_What do I…?" I began._

"_Just be careful, alright?" he worried, placing his hands on my shoulders._

"_Sure." A very familiar wind blew, forcing me to close my eyes against its force._

* * *

><p>I awoke with a start, hearing someone pound on my door. I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes, smoothing out my clothes and hair before I turned the doorknob. As soon as I did, a certain blue-eyed brunet charged into the room.<p>

"Valon? What are you doing in my room?" I questioned, glaring at him. He blinked, looking at me with a curious expression, as if he'd just realized I was there.

"There…are intruders here. Dartz told me. We have to get out of here, but I can't find Kayla!" he explained, frantically waving his free arm in wild gestures. The other arm was still in a cast from when he saved Mai from the Orichalcos; he'd told me about it when I asked him.

"What? What do you mean you can't find her?" I asked, not believing my own ears.

"I meant what I said! I went to her room, and she wasn't there; I can't find her! You need to help me!" he exclaimed, pulling on my arm and pushing me through the door.

_Kayla…what's happening to you?_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon: <strong>I have a lot of stuff to say in this authoress's notes!

**Kayla:** Yay! Do I get to see Kuraki-chan's OC's again?

**AGKamon:** Of course! Here comes the review replies!

_**Little. Miss. Fortune - **_Seems like I haven't seen a review from you in a while! No problem. Yeah, Bakura's all broken up because of Kayla. Huh, really? I've never heard that song; I only named the chapter that because it has the line 'There She Was.' in it. I'm also trying to see if I can make all the chapters start with the same letter, T. Which, weirdly enough, is Tiikeri's nickname and her initials are TT. Also, congrats, you are the tenth reviewer!

_**Kuraki-chan - **_Bakura's always had feelings, I think he just hides them because he believes that showing them is like showing weakness; however, Kayla completely breaks all of Bakura's logic. *Bakura: Ask your writers why I'm so 'nice' to Kayla! - Kayla: So...Bakura acts different in your stories?* She's so clueless sometimes. While I was writing him, I just thought that he'd be really protective over someone he really cared about in the beginning when he was starting to show he cared, and then it just grew from there. *Kayla: The Orichalcos isn't that great. I mean, the Great Leviathan's trying to control my mind now. The Orichalcos is horrible, I have to agree with Virah.* I completely changed the Great Leviathan from the anime. Anyway, I clicked over and read I Am a Superstar as soon as I got your review, and it's as awesome as your other stories! Sorry I don't review or anything; I never know what to write once the review thing comes up. It's really kind of funny how alike our two Kayla-characters are - they both have pyromania, kleptomania, some sort of voice that talks to them (my Kayla - the Great Leviathan, your Kayla - Kai), and they both have some sort of relationship with Bakura. I see a lot of stories with OC's named Kayla; it's weird because I thought of Kossori as her last name first and just thought up a name that sounded decent with it. My name, unfortunately, isn't Kayla or any of my OC's names, but I wish it was Kamon. *Kayla: Cool, I like chilling with you guys too! -runs off to hang out with them-* I hope they don't cause too much trouble. Anyway I'm glad you like Tiikeri too; I felt bad that Marik was lonely, so she came into being. Is this update soon enough? Also, when I saw the sixth chapter of I Am a Superstar and saw Neutral and Picking the Bad Side on the list of stories you love, I got so happy you have no idea. So thanks so much! Also, have you seen my one-shot A Pyromaniac's Past? It really tells you a lot about Kayla's past.

**AGKamon:** Really Kuraki-chan, that made my day. Also, thanks to XxAnimalxInsiderxX for adding On the Holiday Side to their favorite stories and for adding me to their favorite authors.

**Bakura:** I said the disclaimer, so I'm not signing the chapter out. And Kayla ran off.

**Tiikeri:** I'm not saying it.

**Marik:** Ugh, I will. Read and review.

**Ryo:** We hope to see your reviews, and we can't wait to reply to them for the next chapter!


	7. Tomes, Intruders, and Atlantis

**AGKamon: **Sorry if I kept you guys waiting; I'm working on a collab project with a fellow fanfic writer, so I've been doing a lot more drawing than usual. I'll explain after the chapter. Also, if you haven't seen the end of Waking the Dragons, this chapter will contain some minor spoilers about Dartz. I just decided to warn you.

**Bakura:** Great. More long ending authoress notes.

**Kayla:** I like authoress notes. So stop being such a downer Bakura!

**Marik:** Tiikeri starts getting really involved in the story line now, as if she wasn't a main character already.

**Ryo:** Not to mention that the Winged Dragon of Ra makes another appearance.

**Bakura:** Oh, for the love of Ra, no.

**Tiikeri:** Start the chapter.

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

"What happened to her?" Valon asked, continuing to pull me down the various hallways of the headquarters.

"What do you mean?" I questioned; my voice sounded more monotone than usual, even to me. The brunet in front of me stopped abruptly, causing to me run into his back; the force snapped me out of the daze that had been caused by Marik's words. I was still stunned from what the Egyptian had said, and I was nervously awaiting whatever would be coming after me.

"The two of you have been inseparable since you met; it doesn't make sense that you would suddenly ask for a new room. Did she do something?" I looked down at the floor, wondering when he had gotten so observant.

"She said…some things." Sighing, Valon tugged on my arm again, restarting our journey through the passageways. I didn't understand how he avoided getting lost; there was another hall wherever I looked.

"Kayla's a nice girl, and I shouldn't have gotten the two of you caught up in this. I brought you and Kayla here, so it's my business to know what's happening between you."

_That's some horrible logic, but…there's no harm in talking to him. I mean, he might know what's bothering Kayla._

"She suddenly told me that she was using me and never thought of me as a friend. She said that I should get a new room and start leaving her alone, but I think there's something affecting her common sense. Kayla would never string someone along, just to play with their feelings; is there something I should know about the Orichalcos?"

"…Heh, of course not!" He chuckled nervously.

"Liar." His forced laughter ceased immediately, and he looked over his shoulder at me.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but there's some sort of spirit or voice - I don't really know what it is - that lives in these Orichalcos stones. I've heard it; Alister's heard it; even Rafael heard it once. It offered to be our new sense of judgment, that it could make everything fall in our favor if we listened to it. Obviously, Alister, Rafael, and I declined. However, I can only assume that Kayla accepted it; that's probably why she said those things," Valon explained, his steps had faded from a brisk walk to almost standing still.

"And…this…voice could come after me next?" I inquired slowly, wincing at the ounce of fear I could hear in my voice. I shouldn't be afraid, knowing all of this information about this thing inside the Orichalcos stones, I'll just say no to its offer.

"No doubt. You may think it'll be easy to say no to it, but you're wrong. Dead wrong, mate." I tilted my head, confused at the statement; what would make that little task of saying 'no' so hard?

"Why am I wrong?" Our voices had diminished into soft whispers; the empty hallways now seemed more desolate than ever.

"It targets you when you're the most conflicted, trying to convince you to take the easy way out. So I don't care about what's happening around you, T, you have to decline its offer." With determination and a hint of worry gleaming in his sky-blue eyes, Valon looked down at me.

"Sure." He smiled slightly, obviously a bit saddened at learning about what Kayla had done; with Marik and Valon's worry over my safety, as well as Kayla's now-horrid behavior, I could determine that this 'voice' was an extremely malevolent being that I couldn't give into. No matter what.

"Hey! Are those the intruders?" Valon shouted suddenly, releasing my arm in favor of pointing in front of him. I peered over his shoulder, instantly shocked at who I was seeing. A trio of heads looked toward us, and my eyes grew wide.

_Is…that Marik? Why is he here? And who is he with?_

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"I'm tired; let's take a break!" Marik whined, leaning against the wall next to him. I rolled my eyes, turning around to face him and an equally tired-looking Ryo.

"No. If we stop, there's a higher chance that someone will find us; then we'll have an even harder time of finding Kayla. Think of that," I snapped. Although, even though I would never admit it, all of this endless walking and aimless wandering was beginning to wear me out and get on my nerves as well. These hallways didn't seem to end, and it frustrated me.

"I-I agree with Bakura…" Ryo whimpered, obviously not used to walking constantly for this long. Then again, I almost always did end up taking over the boy's body when actual physical effort needed to be done. He, obviously, wasn't as fit as Marik and I. As for Marik, he was simply being whiny like he usually was. That was the real disadvantage in taking the Egyptian anywhere; he whined in that awfully annoying way whenever he started to get tired.

"Ugh…fine." Feeling that Marik would cease complaining for now, I turned forward once more and was about to take another step when I heard something that even made me jump.

"Hey! Are those the intruders?" The voice was accented with the dialect of someone who was Australian; my head jerked up to look down the passageway to my right. A pair consisting of a young man and a teenage girl were looking at us; he had one of his arms in a cast.

"Oh, for the love of Ra…" I sighed, glancing down the other two passages, hoping for an escape route. However, a red-haired man now stood in the hall in front of me, and a blond was to my left.

"Where did they come from?" Marik asked, now forgetting about his earlier complaints. I didn't want to turn around; it would be counter-productive to go down a way that we had already been down, but it didn't seem as though we had a choice.

"Should we run?" Ryo whispered; I could hear his voice quiver from what I assumed was fear.

_Perhaps if we split up…one of us could make an escape…_

"What do the three of you think about taking separate paths for now?" I questioned, keeping my voice low so I didn't alert the four young adults who were obviously part of Paradius.

"You mean splitting up? No way!" Ryo protested, taking my hint and keeping quiet as well.

"But, we have a better chance of escaping," Marik added.

"I don't care; we came in here as a team, and that's how we'll stay!" I narrowed my eyes down at the white-haired boy, wondering why he was so against the idea of splitting up. It would only be temporary after all.

"But…" Marik started.

"No. Besides, I don't have a deck. So what's the point?" I sighed, shaking my head at the foolish determination of the child; however, I relented, knowing that it wouldn't get us anywhere if we stayed here arguing.

"Fine, we'll stick together, but, the two of you will run in front of me."

"Why?" Marik inquired.

"I'm stronger; it makes sense that I should be the closest to them." Seeming slightly upset, Marik's expression darkened, but he nodded in agreement. Ryo soon followed suit, and the two of them took off running. With one last glance at the Paradius associates, I turned and began sprinting behind the Egyptian and British teens.

"Hey! Stop!" a masculine voice shouted, and the sound of footsteps alerted me that they were following us.

_These are the times that I wish that Ra wasn't cooped up in the House of the Egyptian Gods with Slifer and Obelisk. She just might be able to assist us._

* * *

><p><span>Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

I was translucent here in the surface world, and I absolutely despised it. Not only that, but my mind was still reeling from all of the information Tiikeri had told me a while ago; it worried me immensely. I had no idea what this 'Orichalcos' that she kept mentioning could do, but it sounded so familiar to me. I was tempted to return to Slifer and Obelisk to ask for their input, but I knew that if I did that, they would band together and stop me from leaving again.

"This is so complicated…huh?" The sound of pounding footsteps drew my attention away from my thoughts as a trio of figures passed me; ignoring my almost-invisible form. I sucked in a breath at seeing the long, slightly spiked, white hair flying out behind the figure in the back.

"What's Bakura doing here?" I wondered, turning to see four more forms stop in front of me, looking down each of the hallways around them.

"Where'd they go?" the male brunet questioned.

"We must find them. Shall we split up?" the tall blond man suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." I stiffened at hearing a familiar voice, Tiikeri. I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts; I needed to talk with Bakura. With that resolve in my mind, I silently walked in the direction he had gone in; I hated the fact that my heels didn't even make a sound when they came in contact with the tiled floor.

I found him and the two other young men he was with taking refuge around the corner, obviously hoping that they wouldn't be found.

"Bakura," I said, crossing my arms when I finally stood in front of him. Surprised for once, he stepped back before looking around; I'd forgotten that even he wouldn't be able to see me here.

"Did you hear that?" the tanned one asked. I quickly realized that he was the boy I had been camouflaging myself as, Marik.

"Yeah…" a boy who looked similar to Bakura replied. I determined that he must be the one whose body Bakura's spirit used to inhabit. This was the Thief King's reincarnation; he must be Ryo.

"It sounded like…Ra, why are you here?" His voice flattened.

"Is that really Ra? The Winged Dragon of Ra?" Marik questioned.

"Yes. Now, please answer me. What are you doing here?" Bakura sighed.

"For quite a while, I have been keeping in contact with one of the members of this organization. She has given me a large amount of information that I believe the three of you should hear," I explained.

"You mean you've been talking to Kayla?" Ryo wondered.

"No. There is another girl who has been dragged into this mess named Tiikeri. I have been speaking with her while she dreams. Also, Marik, I have been using your form to gain her trust; she thinks that she knows you. Anyway, Tiikeri has told me that Kayla has begun to act strangely and rather aggressively toward her; I was observing their interactions, and the two of them had quite the sisterly relationship before now."

"So what's causing her change in behavior?" Bakura asked. I considered the question for a moment; I hadn't quite figured it all out just yet. My suspicions were still rather sketchy, and I didn't have much proof for any of them.

"I am not exactly sure what it is, but I do know that it has to do with something called the Orichalcos…"

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

I had long given up on finding Marik and the two other intruders; my eyes subconsciously narrowed as I strolled down one of the many hallways.

_Why was he here? _

"Could it be that those two others were Ryo and Bakura? The three of them are somewhat like a team, so I suppose it makes sense…" I muttered, attempting to piece together the many puzzle pieces in my mind. All of this was so utterly confusing, and it was strangely difficult to wrap my head around all of this information I'd recently discovered. In the midst of my musings, I found myself in front of a door.

"The…library…?" I read out loud, staring up at the sign hanging above the door.

_I might be able to uncover the missing bits of information here… _

Although, I felt slightly wary of opening the door, as if I wasn't supposed to go in. Shaking my head, I reminded myself that I needed to help Kayla; she was like a sister to me, and even though my own family had almost killed me, I didn't want her to get hurt. I wasn't sure, but I suspected that this is what it would feel like to have an actual family member.

"So I'll have to take a risk sometime…" My mumbled words gave me the strength I needed to grasp the gold-painted doorknob and turn it, stepping into the large room before me. It reminded me of the lobby, with its red-and-gold carpet covering the floor. Bookcases lined the walls, and I wondered where I should begin. Shutting the door behind me, I decided to search for information about the Orichalcos first. It was the root of all these problems after all.

_These books have no rhyme or reason to how they're organized…how am I supposed to find a specific subject? But, if someone went to so much trouble to keep books on this subject hidden, then there must be something that I'm not supposed to know. This is getting more suspicious with every minute. _

However, I was eventually able to find a few books scattered in various places that seemed promising.

"The History of the Orichalcos…" I whispered, dusting off the cover. It was a fairly thick book, so I starting skimming through the many pages. Strangely enough, a lot of the pages detailed the history of Atlantis. I was sure that the ancient city was nothing more than a myth; did this mean that the city that had supposedly sunk into the ocean was actually real? Intrigued, I decided to look over the records about Atlantis.

_This is going to be a long night…_

With that thought, I glanced at the other books I had gathered; they were just as thick as the book I was currently reading, if not more so. I may have been a decent reader for the limited education I'd received back home, but I knew that this was going to take a while. I hoped that Valon or the others wouldn't come looking for me as I settled down and mentally prepared myself for whatever I was going to find.

* * *

><p><strong>A Few Hours Later<strong>

Shocked, I dropped the book; a soft 'thud' echoed throughout the empty room. The sound ricocheted off the walls and never seemed to disappear. My green eyes stared down at the records of the royal family of Atlantis.

_**Dartz**_

"But…how could that be?" I breathed, gripping the edge of the desk. My knuckles were beginning to turn white. From what I'd read, Atlantis had sunk into the sea about ten thousand years ago, but if Dartz had been the king at that time, how could he still be alive?

"That's impossible…! He shouldn't be alive," I said, completely confused at the discovery. I shook my head, convincing myself to continue reading the tome. This may be strange, but it didn't explain anything. I needed to keep looking, and then, finally, my eyes caught sight of the word I'd been searching for. Orichalcos.

"Finally…" I sighed, but I wasn't any more satisfied with the information I found myself reading.

Destruction. Pain. Corruption.

None of them were subjects that I liked reading about, but I had to go on. It would make no sense to stop now, not when I finally found the answers I'd been looking for. My fingers grasping the wood tightened their hold, and if I hadn't been so absorbed in the words my eyes were looking over, I would've worried about the wood breaking.

_...What...have I gotten myself into...?_

* * *

><p><span>Valon's P.O.V.<span>

Strolling down the hallways, I wondered where the small, brunette girl could have gone. I had already met up with Rafael and Alister, and neither of them found the intruders. Although, in a building with this many halls, it didn't surprise me that they'd managed to evade us. However, I hadn't been able to find Tiikeri. For some reason, I found myself standing in front of the library when a quiet, but still noticeable, shout came from inside.

"That's impossible…!" I couldn't hear anything after that, but I recognized the voice. Curious, I grabbed the doorknob with my free hand and turned it.

_I wonder what Tiikeri's doing in the library…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon: <strong>What's Valon going to do when he sees what Tiikeri's doing? Also, if you didn't know, a tome is like a large book. Anyway, time to reply to the reviews!

_**katz341 - **_Abridged Marik is amazing. He can say pretty anything, and it sounds funny. I heard on a video where LK went to a con somewhere in Australia. Abridged Bakura is my favorite though; Abridged Marik is a close second though. *Ryo: Huh? -is glomped-* I believe that you mean 'incompetent', but I'm so dying to see the next chapter of  Exercise! I wish I still had art class. I don't mind; I enjoy reading long reviews. Even if they are completely random. Exactly, long reviews make me smile like the Abridged Series does!

_**Kuraki-chan - **_I don't mind; I'm honored. I just thought Pyromania + Kayla = decent idea for my first songfic. *Kayla: Yeah! But wait, Virah, how can Dartz be your uncle? From what Tiikeri found, he's like, older than the Pharaoh.* My Kayla's got a point there, but if it'll spoil the story, I can wait to find out. Which Kayla are we hitting? Mine or yours? *Kayla: I wouldn't set anyone on fire. I only burn abandoned buildings and pine trees since I don't want to hurt anyone.* I totally imagined you saying that in Abridged Ryo's voice, and then Bakura responding in his Abridged voice. (I'm on a blimp~!) Sorry, I had to; I been thinking up references to the Abridged Series all day. I don't plan anything. Tiikeri's expanding the plot!

_**sorecess of the nile - **_Creepiness is good when you're dealing with the Great Leviathan. *Bakura: What in the name of Ra was that for? -rubs head-* Thanks!

**AGKamon: **I enjoy seeing reviews. So this collab project is between Kuraki-chan (who writes awesome Yu-Gi-Oh! fics) and me. We both have similar characters named Kayla, to get more publicity, Kuraki-chan plans on making a video about our Kayla's and the story relating to them - all to the song Pyromania by Cascada. Since she's making this awesome video, I decided to help and drawing some pictures with both of our characters in them. I have one already posted on my DeviantArt.

**Bakura:** *still holding head* Can we end the chapter now?

**Marik:** Oh good. Now he's going to have an attitude worse than his usual one.

**Kayla:** *runs into the room* I brought an ice-pack! *applies ice to Bakura's head*

**Ryo:** Well, this has been...interesting.

**Tiikeri:** No kidding. AG, do you want to sign out the chapter?

**AGKamon:** Sure! Read and review!


	8. The Strange Familiarity

**AGKamon: **Sorry if I kept you guys waiting; I was a bit stuck for a moment. Not to mention that I got braces yesterday; I'm still a little sore actually. But, I got inspiration in exchange!

**Kayla: **Cool, I appear in this chapter.

**Bakura:** All of us do.

**Ryo:** Valon's getting a lot more involved, huh?

**AGKamon:** Well, yeah. He was my favorite of the Doma guys, and he really didn't seem that bad. I figured it wouldn't hurt.

**Marik:** I can't wait to see the reviews we get for the end of this chapter!

**Tiikeri:** Don't give anything away. AGKamon doesn't own Marik, Bakura, Ryo, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh! She only owns Kayla and I, her OC's.

**AGKamon:** I like how this chapter came out, and I hope you guys do too. Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

"I don't understand…how…?" I whispered, clutching my head with my hands. None of this information made any sense to me. What were Duel Monster Spirits? Orichalcos Soldiers? The Great Leviathan?

"T, you in here, mate?" I froze at hearing Valon's voice, as well as the opening door behind me. That was the only way in or out of this room, and there wasn't anywhere to hide. I looked over my shoulder warily, expecting him to come charging at me with questions about how much I knew and whether the organization had to get rid of me. However, he simply smiled at me with a clueless look in his eyes.

"So, what are you doing?" he asked, strolling up to peer at the book. Hearing his footsteps and seeing him come closer, I mentally scrambled for anything I could do. Surely, I wasn't supposed to know this much about Paradius, the Orichalcos, or Dartz.

"Just…reading," I replied quietly, hoping he'd leave. It was now that I was really thankful of how oblivious Valon was; he seriously couldn't read my suspicious body language.

_That's good..._

"About what?"

"Depends. Will you run off and find Dartz if I tell you?" I glanced back at the brunet, watching his reaction. In truth, he even seemed slightly distrustful of Dartz's actions recently; perhaps I could convince him to help me. Although, there was always the chance that he could betray me, but I had to risk it. I wouldn't be able to do this on my own.

"I…guess not…"

"Then I'm researching the Orichalcos and, indirectly, Dartz." I continued to allow my eyes to scan the page I was on; my thoughts were still whirling from finding out about Dartz's apparent immortality. How could he still be alive after ten thousand years? Where could someone get immortality like that?

"Oh really?" Now Valon sounded interested as he peered over my shoulder, resting his free arm on my head. The large intake of air I heard from him told me that he'd seen the royal bloodline documents of Atlantis that revealed the true identity and age of Dartz.

"How…?" The muttered word entered my ears as I shrugged.

"I don't know. That piece of the puzzle is confusing me immensely. According to these records, Dartz should be long gone; I have no idea how he could have gained this immortality, but I have to suspect that it has something to do with the Orichalcos. However, I haven't gotten very far in my research; I have to save Kayla, though," I explained, my hands disconnecting themselves from my head in favor of clenching into fists.

"I should've known…this was all too weird. The fact that he even had those Orichalcos stones was a bit strange to me, but…I was just a kid when I accepted his offer to work for him. I was in too deep by the time it occurred to me…" Valon's speech trailed off, and I suddenly felt bad for him. I looked up to see a unexpectedly saddened look in his eyes.

_It seems as though none of us who're here had much of a chance…_

"So, do you wish to help me?" I asked, sighing afterward. After I ran away, all I wanted was to live peacefully and to never see my family again; instead, I got dragged into this mess, but I, strangely, didn't regret anything. Even though she'd hurt my feelings for a short time, I now felt more determined than ever to snap her back to her senses.

"…Sure. Maybe if this ends quickly, Mai'll go out me!" he replied, hope penetrating his voice. I smiled, knowing that, after this was over, he'd end up fine. Even if Mai never decides to take him up on that offer.

"Well, grab a book and start reading. We need to gather up a much information as we can; anything about Atlantis, Dartz, the Orichalcos, or the Great Leviathan is useful." I smirked at hearing the commanding tone in my voice; where did that come from? Chuckling, Valon sat down in the chair beside me and grabbed a book off the top of the stack I'd gathered.

_Seems like I may have gained an ally…_

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"What do you make of all of this, Bakura?" Ryo questioned, looking in the direction where Ra had been a few minutes ago. She'd left, saying that she needed to go check on this informant of hers, Tiikeri, before she went off to search for Kayla.

"I'm not quite sure yet, but this…whatever it is with Paradius seems a lot deeper and more troublesome than I first thought. However, if Ra is feeling a similar sensation compared to mine in response to Paradius and this 'Orichalcos', then Kayla must have gotten herself involved in something extremely ancient. I suspect that whenever this Orichalcos originated from must be older than Ancient Egypt."

"But Ancient Egypt was around about five thousand years ago!" Marik remarked. I shrugged, the age of the Orichalcos didn't particularly matter to me. Neither did this girl, Tiikeri, however, I had to wonder why Ra used Marik's form for communicating with her.

"Does that matter? We're here to find Kayla, not to destroy the entire organization," I replied. Although some of Ra's actions confused me, I was grateful for her assistance. All of the information she'd gathered and relayed to us would be useful in the near future.

"Should we wait?" Ryo inquired. He had an interesting point. From what Ra said, I suspected that Kayla was still in this maze that Paradius called headquarters. I didn't like the idea of waiting for Ra to return, but she has probably been here more times than we had if she'd been talking with that girl for as long as she led us to believe. However, if we wanted to find her, then perhaps it would be a better idea to go searching as well.

"I'd rather not run into those guys again," Marik worried. There was that too. Now their leader most likely knew that we were here, if they weren't already aware of our presence. I worried that even more Paradius members were going to be sent our way. This was a difficult decision, but my worry for Kayla's safety was rising rapidly.

"I think that we should go out and keep looking. Now that Ra knows we're here, she'll have a fairly easy time finding us again," I concluded, peering out of the hallway we'd taken refuge in. There wasn't a soul that I could see; the passages were as empty as they used to be before we were discovered.

"Alright, then let's get moving."

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

_**Wake up, child. The one who has betrayed your trust is near.**_

Shocked, I shot up into a sitting position, suddenly wide awake.

"Who was…! Oh, right…The Great Leviathan, correct?" My voice flattened as I remembered agreeing to its advice; I looked around the room, wondering why I was in this unfamiliar place. This didn't look like the bedroom I'd been using previously; however, I shrugged it off.

_**Yes, child. Now, the Thief King is nearby; you wish to find him, don't you?**_

"Of course I do!" I remarked, fixing the blankets on the bed and straightening out my clothes as I glanced around in search of my deck.

_**Good. Once you are ready for the task ahead of you, contact me once again. All you must do is think about you anger; I will come to you at once.**_

"Huh? But where are you going? What task?" I inquired, grinning as I found my cards hidden in the nightstand's drawer. I began counting the cards to make sure they were all there.

_**To get your revenge, you must duel the Thief King. He is skilled, and I do not wish for you to go into the duel unprepared. I would like to watch, but, alas, I cannot. There is another young lady who needs to be attended to.**_

"Okay…but why won't you tell me who it is?" Suspicion began creeping up in the depths of my subconscious, and I realized that there was still a part of me that was against what I was doing. Although I could feel that doubt, it was too squashed to even bother me. I was too deeply involved in this to even care anymore.

_**She's an old friend of yours. I believe that she has found out a bit too much and needs to be taken care of. Do not fret, child, I will not be gone for long. Farewell.**_

"Oh, it's T," I realized, wondering why a sharp pain rang out in my heart when the conclusion appeared to me. Without The Great Leviathan around, something felt off. I couldn't place it, but I could tell that something was wrong. Even so, I, satisfied that none of my cards were missing, grabbed the duel disk sitting on the nightstand.

_Strange…I don't remember having a duel disk with me last night…_

Shrugging, I assumed that I'd simply forgotten about it. With a split second of hesitation, I grasped the chilled, metal doorknob and opened the door. My eyes scanned the halls, looking for some sort of sign of which way I should go.

_What was that…?_

I narrowed my eyes, straining my vision, as something caught my attention. A woman, dressed in gold, strode down the hallway to my right. She seemed troubled, but I didn't recognize her; she wasn't supposed to be here. There was something weird about her that reminded me of The Great Leviathan; it was as if she was immortally ancient. Her entire being seemed to ooze with power, and I was drawn to it.

_If I noticed her…then I suppose I should follow her. The Great Leviathan's leading me after all._

As I crept closer to the woman, I was surprised to find that she was translucent.

_What is she? A ghost?_

However, the thought of ghosts existing didn't scare me. I'd been to Shadow Realm and lived; I'd survived being captured by Dark Marik. So, a ghost wasn't going to scare me off; now I was determined to find out what she was doing here.

_But…something about her seems familiar. …Why?_

* * *

><p><span>Valon's P.O.V.<span>

"How's your research goin', T?" I asked, turning the page of the book I was reading. All of this information was so confusing, but it all seemed to make sense now.

"Ugh, fine, I guess. I wish I understood more of this, though," she sighed. I glanced at her, watching as her emerald eyes narrowed at the page.

"What do you not understand?"

"All this about Duel Monster Spirits and The Great Leviathan. I have no idea what the book's talking about."

"Ah, Duel Monster Spirits. That's more up Rafael's alley," I replied.

"It's a shame we can't ask him for advice; it'd look suspicious if we did."

"Hm, true." I shivered suddenly; the room felt colder all of a sudden. There was a dark feeling that had abruptly appeared in the air, and I felt as if this had happened before. Like déja vu, except that it had occurred differently before.

"Do you hear that…?" Tiikeri questioned; the silence was abruptly broken. However, it wasn't her that broke it. The sound of breathing, as if someone was leaning over my shoulder, inhaling and exhaling by me ear, startled me. Still, it felt familiar to me.

Then it all came back to me.

"Oh no…" I breathed, jumping up from my seat and running toward the door. I jiggled the handle desperately, but the door wouldn't budge. It was locked.

"What is it?" Tiikeri inquired, completely oblivious to the danger we were in.

"The Great Leviathan! It's coming for us!" I shouted as the strange breathing sound increased in volume. I actually felt scared, terrified even. My first encounter with it - whatever it was - had left me shaking in my boots, and I had nightmares for days afterward, but this was even worse. I could tell; it wasn't going to ask for our consent. That thing was just going to take it.

_**It appears as though you've found out a little too much. Are you going to surrender to me, or shall I accomplish this task the hard way?**_

My blood ran cold.

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Alright, just to clarify, any writing that in bold and italics is The Great Leviathan, and yes, Kayla did see the Winged Dragon of Ra in her human form. Ra was just coming back from checking up on Tiikeri when Kayla saw her; if only Ra had stayed a few more minutes.

**Bakura:** Reviews?

**AGKamon: **I'm getting there!

_**Kuraki-chan -**_Wow, that is weird. It was The Great Leviathan; I blame it. I'm still working on the Pyromania picture as well. *Kayla: Hm, good point. But...does that mean your adoptive father - Dartz's brother - is immortal too?* Sorry, I just have to point that out! Thanks!

**_sorecess of the nile - _**Exactly, so I think I captured The Great Leviathan's creepiness wonderfully in this chapter. Of course, it's more up to the reviewers, like you, not me. *Bakura: I was being sarcastic...*

**AGKamon:** Also, during the fairly short period of time between this chapter and the last chapter, I did something important. I created a new story, and not just a one-shot. So, if you like FullMetal Alchemist, my new fanfic is something you might want to check out. It's called Praise, and it will be Edward Elric/OC and Envy/OC.

**Bakura:** Oh goodie. Sounds exciting.

**Marik:** *reading* It's actually not that bad. She's trying to make a really negative OC.

**Ryo:** *also reading* AG seems to be doing a fine job with that.

**Tiikeri:** You mean I'm not negative? *confused*

**AGKamon:** Eh, I was more going for the emotionless type of character for you. Anyway, Kayla, do you want to sign out the chapter?

**Kayla:** Sure! Read and review everybody! Be sure to check out Praise if you're interested!


	9. Tiikeri

**AGKamon: **Hey, welcome to the ninth chapter! Next one's number ten, alright!

**Bakura:** Yay. *doesn't care at all*

**Tiikeri:** *points to an obviously hyperactive Kayla* I think she should say the disclaimer.

**Marik: **But I wanted to do it!

**Tiikeri:** You're so whiny, why do I like you? Ugh, Kayla, disclaimer?

**Kayla:** Huh? Okay! AGKamon doesn't own Bakura, Marik, Ryo, or anything else related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. She only owns Tiikeri and I, her OC's.

**Ryo:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

A chill ran through my being, and I shivered violently. There was something in the air, some sort of feeling, that reminded me of Zorc's presence. Jerking my head up, I remembered that Tiikeri was researching this organization when I'd last seen her. Suddenly fearing for her safety, I whirled around.

"Who are you?" I asked warily, eyeing the figure before me. Dark-blue hair cascaded in a pair of tendrils and ended at her knees, and I didn't like the look in her equally dark eyes.

"That's none of your business. All I wish to know is why you are here," the girl replied. She seemed familiar, as if I'd been told about her.

"I am checking up on a close friend, if you must know. Now, I ask again, who are you?" She laughed lightly; it sounded dark, almost like a warning. I had a sudden urge to turn and run.

"I guess I could tell you since you were so kind as to answer my question. I am Kayla Kossori." She grinned, making me think that there was something she wasn't telling me. However, I needed to find Bakura once more, but why did I think that I'd heard that name before?

_Kayla…Kossori…? But…it cannot be the girl Bakura has an interest in, correct? However…_

* * *

><p><span>A Few Months Earlier<span>

"_So, Bakura, are you ever going to tell me anything more about this girl you have your eyes on?" I wondered, strolling into the room and finding him staring out a window. Bright sunlight filtered through it, and, knowing Bakura, he wasn't actually looking at anything. Most likely, he was thinking over what he would do after we gave him his own body and his freedom._

"_I see no reason to, Ra. Why should you care about her? I don't want her to become too involved in my personal affairs anyway." He huffed, hopping up from his seat to try walking past me._

"_Bakura, you cannot keep all of your past a secret from her if you really care. I know that you are also aware of this fact," I remarked, grabbing his shoulder to halt his movement. With narrowed eyes, he stared up at me. Finally, he sighed._

"_I will tell her everything about myself eventually, but I haven't even determined whether she returns my affections. What would be the point?"_

"_You haven't had a friend since before Kul Edna burned; she is the only mortal, the only human, the accepts you. You cannot rely on me to talk to for the rest of eternity. Besides, finding a way to make you at least remotely happy has been a goal of mine for thousands of years; I want to help you." I leaned down to his level, and his brown eyes followed my movement with a wary look filling them. He didn't know what to think._

"_I-"_

"_Yes, you can tell me, Bakura. You can trust me. What reason do I have to reveal everything to the other Egyptian Gods to torment you when I have been the one of the only ones who try to defend you?" I pressed, gripping the Thief King's shoulders in an attempt to convince him that I wouldn't betray him. I had to earn his trust._

"…_Do you promise not to tell the others? It's bad enough that Slifer and Obelisk are aware of this; I don't want the rest of the Egyptian Gods to believe that I'm going soft as well," he mumbled, obviously not happy about giving in to my reasoning. _

"_Of course!" I chirped, leading him away from the main hall and into a more secluded area of the 'house'. He sighed once more as I shut the door when he entered the room._

"_Well then…I suppose that I should start from the beginning, right?" he pondered quietly, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look in his eyes, as if he were remembering something important to him. His deep frown lightened to a more blank look, and I realized that it was the closest he was going to get to actually smiling. He wandered, eventually seating himself in a chair._

"_That would be helpful," I replied, sitting on the chair across from him; I rested my elbows on the small table between us._

"_It began a few weeks before that tournament…Battle City, I believe it was called. She appeared out of nowhere, saying that she'd been watching over us for a month out of boredom. At the time, I thought she was absolutely insane, but Marik and I were convinced to allow her to stay with us. She threatened to find and reveal all the information she knew to the Pharaoh if we didn't after all. Her hair was a dark, midnight-blue, with eyes to match. She introduced herself as Kayla Kossori…"_

* * *

><p>I sucked in a breath, shocked that this girl was the one Bakura had his eyes on. I knew that something had happened to her, but she had this exceedingly dark aura coming off of her in waves. It seemed ancient, the darkness, more so than myself.<p>

"What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," she inquired, seeming concerned. Her interest in my safety would look genuine to most, but I was able to see through her façade and knew that she was simply feigning it in an attempt to gain my trust. However, I decided to play along with her games, for now.

"I used to know a girl with the same name as you, how strange," I commented in a bored tone, pretending to examine my gold-painted fingernails for effect. Out of the corner of my eye, I observed her reaction. For a moment she seemed surprised, as if she were trying to remember who I was, even though we had never met before.

"That is strange," she muttered, laughing soon afterward. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what was causing her to laugh. I quickly realized that she was trying to hide her nervousness, and I noted a bead of sweat running down her face. It certainly wasn't warm in here, quite the opposite.

"I must be going, Ms. Kossori. I do hope to see you again," I remarked, turning to take my leave. I raised my hand to wave at the blue-haired girl, but she quickly grabbed it. My eyes widened; I wasn't even aware that humans were able to touch me while I wasn't solid.

"I apologize, but I can't allow you to leave after you've learned my identity. I know someone who would love to meet you." Another chill traveled through my body as I looked over my shoulder, her eyes almost seemed black. With surprising strength, she began to pull me down the hall. For once in my long life, I felt helpless.

"The Great Leviathan's going to enjoy meeting you…"

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

Terrified, I hopped up from my seat and attempted to open the door like Valon had. It was the only exit from this room, the library, and it was locked from the outside. This was not going to turn out well for either of us, I now knew that. Valon had slid down to sit on the floor, shaking slightly.

"Are you not going to try fighting against that thing?" I questioned, feeling quite perturbed that the normally determined and fiery young man had given up so easily.

"You kidding? You can't fight against the Great Leviathan!" he cried, gesturing wildly with his free hand.

"I thought it was you who told me to not give in to it!" I remarked.

"Yeah, when it gives you a choice in the matter. We're doomed now!" I shook my head, realizing that reasoning with him was useless; his fear had completely consumed him and left a shivering excuse for a man in its place. The Valon that I knew had apparently left the building. Besides, it was just a creepy voice, what could it really do to me?

_**What I can do, you ask? Why, I can do many things.**_

I froze, wondering how it knew what I was thinking. Mind-reading wasn't real, right?

_Then again, I'd always thought Atlantis didn't really exist too. I guess anything possible._

_**Quite right, I can get inside your mind whenever I wish. Now, simply give up now and I won't make this painful for the both of you.**_

I looked down at Valon; he didn't say a single word. However, his teeth were most likely chattering so badly that no one would understand him anyway. I, however, won't back down.

"No, I have someone I want to help. You will not-!" I stopped mid-sentence as the shadows in the room seemed to disappear. I watched, horrified, as they began to combine and merge together at one point, forming a large mass of black nothingness.

"W-what the…?" I uttered, feeling myself begin to shake in fear. This wasn't happening, right? This all had to be some twisted nightmare my brain was making up to play tricks on me; there was no possible way that shadows could have minds of their own.

I pinched myself.

My entire body jumped, and I pinched myself harder in an attempt to wake myself up. However, the scenery stayed the same. There was still the strange but incredibly creepy sound of breathing echoing through the air; it mixed with the sound of Valon's teeth clicking together, creating an atmosphere that absolutely terrified me to the core. Then, to my utter horror and slight amazement, the shadows began to move together as a mass, attempting to sort themselves into some sort of shape.

A stinging pain suddenly erupted in my head, as if there were something in it banging on my skull with a hammer, trying to escape. I fell to my knees, clutching my head tightly. Slowly, with my body shivering severely, I looked up at the shadows once more, wondering if this nightmarish experience would ever come to an end.

My eyes met a pair of sinisterly red ones; they seemed to be glowing slightly. I scooted backwards, soon meeting the wall with my back. A lion, black as night itself stood before me with its teeth bared menacingly. Memories of being attacked by my family's tiger flashed before my eyes, and I tried to curl up into a ball.

_**Yes, nosey one, give in to your fears. Allow them to consume you, to take over you. All that will be left is a shivering heap of flesh, perfect for to control…**_

The 'lion' lifted up its paw, extending its claws that seemed to be longer than normal. It yawned, exposing a set of brilliant white teeth that seemed to shine compared to the blackness of the creature's fur. The red eyes looked as though they narrowed in my direction, and I prepared to experience a world of pain.A scream filled the room as it pounced.

Was it mine?

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

I trudged down the many hallways, dragging a struggling blonde-haired woman behind me. She simply wouldn't stop moving; what was the point in trying to escape if you knew that you couldn't?

"Let me go!" she shouted, pulling desperately against my grip on her arm. I noted that her high-heeled shoes, strangely, didn't make a single sound against the tiled floor, even as she kicked and tried to run away from me.

"No. The Great Leviathan will be interested in meeting you," I replied. I halted for a second, not even that long, at hearing my own voice. Something sounded off; this was how everything was supposed to be, right? So why did everything I was doing feel so remarkably wrong?

I shook my head, temporarily ridding myself of the troubling thoughts. My own opinions of my deeds didn't matter in the least; the only things that mattered now was the Great Leviathan and its advice to me. Perhaps it'll be able to help me in my duel with Bakura once I bring this woman to it. Focusing, I thought about my anger and only that, hoping to bring about the Great Leviathan's attention.

_**What? I am busy.**_

It sounded frustrated, or worn-out. I was aware that it was off to find T, but I couldn't help but briefly wonder what it was doing. However, I quickly brought my mind back to where it should be.

"I found someone suspicious. Where are you? I want you to meet her," I mumbled, not caring when the woman gave me a strange look, obviously questioning who I was talking to. I was relieved that she had stopped struggling against me for the time being; my arm was beginning to get sore from keeping hold of her.

…_**Alright. Wait outside of the library; I will be finished with this task of mine momentarily.**_

"Thank you, see you then," I replied, nodding as I spoke and continued walking. I didn't even know that there was a library in this place, but I knew that I'd find it eventually since the Great Leviathan's power would allow me to get there safely.

"Who were you speaking with?" the woman asked, staring at me with her bright blue eyes.

"None of your business. Now stay quiet and keep walking," I ordered, glaring up at the much taller female. She flinched away from me and sighed.

_I wonder what the Great Leviathan's doing with T…?_

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

"Ugh, Bakura, this is taking forever! Why didn't we just wait for Ra to find us?" Marik complained.

"Because, Marik, then we would have been stuck waiting down here for even longer. I would like to find Kayla and get out of here as soon as possible," I growled to the Egyptian, peering around the corner in order to check for anymore of those Paradius members. We hadn't seen any since those first four, but there was no need to take any risks. We couldn't be caught.

"I agree with Bakura," Ryo added, trailing behind the two of us. I looked back, eying the younger boy, trying to figure out how much longer he could last without taking a rest. An hour or so, maybe.

"I suppose the next time we find an empty enough hallway, we can take a short break to catch our breaths," I sighed, rubbing my forehead in frustration. The amount of hallways here was dizzying, and I was beginning to think that we were simply walking around in circles.

"Hey, look!" Marik exclaimed, grabbing my arm and pointing in a direction. Raising my head, I followed his finger and was met with the sight of a door. Above it, hung a worn-out sign that read 'library' in barely legible lettering. I frowned, looking at the blond.

"It's a library, Marik, what's your point?" I questioned, swatting his hand away from my arm. Suddenly, Ryo grabbed our shoulders and pulled us down slightly so he could see over them.

"Oh, I think I get it!" he remarked, snapping his fingers in realization. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, awaiting an answer from the young white-haired boy.

"You do?" Marik asked incredulously, as if he didn't even know what he was thinking when he pointed the door out to me. I rolled my eyes and ignored him, instead focusing my attention on the smarter of my companions.

"Yes. Maybe there will be a floor plan of some sort in the library, and we won't be wandering aimlessly anymore. Or, perhaps, we could find out about this 'Orichalcos' thing that Ra was talking about," he explained. I nodded, agreeing that, for once, Marik had done something useful, even if he didn't know what he was doing at the time.

"Yeah…that's why I pointed at the library!" Marik laughed, obviously hoping that the two of us believed his lie. I decided to give him that small luxury, as it didn't matter to me either way.

"Alright, then let's look through the books in there. However, we'll keep looking if we don't find anything, agreed?" I watched as both Marik and Ryo nodded in agreement. I eyed the door, feeling oddly wary about opening it. It was as if there were something extremely dark waiting behind that mere piece of wood. I stepped forward and grasped the doorknob.

Suddenly, a scream sounded itself from behind the door.

"_Tiikeri!"_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> I'm so evil to leave all of you at another cliffhanger. *laughs*

**Bakura:** Idiot, go reply to the reviews.

**AGKamon:** I'm getting to it.

_**Kuraki-chan - **_*Kayla: ...Did I break Virah or something...?* That's great because Ra's in this chapter for more than a quick guest appearance. No problem about the PM's, reply when you get the chance. Or contact me on DeviantArt, either one works. Thanks, I'm thinking about writing a future fic where everyone has kids as well, but I have trouble coming up with completely new plots - so I'm still on the fence about that one. But the other sequels I'm 100% sure I'll write! Although, I agree with Virah, I'm dying to know what happens. *Kayla: Get the notebook!* Ignore her. Also, your reviews never cease to entertain me. I have the coloring on the Pyromania drawing also done, but I keep putting it off. However, I do still have a find questions to ask you about the video; do you think you could PM me back anytime soon?

_**sorecess of the nile - **_...I'm just glad I helped! (...What? I have no idea what you're talking about there?)

_**xXAnachronIsmEpsIceXx - **_Really? Thanks so much! I try to make my OC's interesting enough to have you worried about their safety. I'm glad I was able to keep the attention of you! But...are you worrying about Kayla, Tiikeri, or both? Hah, just wondering. Can I assume you read Neutral as well? What about the one-shots? But anyway, thank you for the compliments!

**AGKamon:** I really am happy that I haven't been accused of making 'Mary-Sue's' out of my OC's. But...I don't really even understand the definition of Mary-Sue, so I wouldn't care anyway.

**Kayla:** If someone was named Mary-Sue...wouldn't that be offensive to them...?

**Tiikeri:** *laughs quietly* You've got a point there, Kayla.

**Marik:** ...That's the first time I've heard you laugh, Tiikeri...

**Ryo:** So anyway, what did you want to ask the readers, AG?

**AGKamon:** Oh right! What do you guys think I should called the Marik/Tiikeri pairing? Bakura/Kayla is Blackmailshipping, so I think Marik/Tiikeri should have a shipping name too! I like having my reviewers get their opinions taken note of, so if I like any of your suggestions enough - and they aren't taken by some other pairing - I'll use your suggestion!

**Bakura:** Anyway, read and review mortals.


	10. The Feeling of an Approaching Duel

**AGKamon:** I left you guys at a cliffhanger last time, so I'll keep this brief.

**Bakura:** Like I believe that. *rolls eyes*

**Kayla:** *shushes*

**Marik:** Yeah, Bakura, be quiet!

**Tiikeri:**AGKamon doesn't Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it; she only owns Kayla Kossori and I, her OC's.

**Ryo:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

My protests suddenly fell silent as my blood ran cold, but I began to struggle more ferociously. Something was wrong and Tiikeri was involved, I could tell that much from the horrible feelings coursing through my being.

"Ugh, stop fighting me!" she, the blue-haired girl named Kayla, commanded as she tugged on my arm with much more force than what was needed. I felt a stinging pain travel up my arm, and it puzzled me. I was immortal; therefore, a mortal such as her shouldn't be able to injure me in any physical way.

"No, my friend is in trouble!" I retorted, attempting to pull the smaller girl with me in the opposite direction, but she stayed rooted to her spot.

_Wait…friend…?_

I had no clue where that idea came from since the brunette didn't even know my true identity; she believed that I was Marik Ishtar after all. Even so, I had to admit that I did feel a type of sisterly closeness to the girl. Kayla huffed, continuing to trudge forward while pulling me with her.

"Friends will do nothing but hold you back," she remarked, and I shivered at the glare she sent me over her shoulder. It momentarily stopped me, and I felt myself being dragged once again. There wasn't anything I could do about it anyway; I was tired, which was strange.

_This place…something is different about it. I don't even feel immortal anymore…_

The thought wandered in my mind without really registering; I actually felt like a mortal. Surprisingly, I didn't feel very different from how I usually did, but there was a certain feeling that was keeping me from fighting constantly. It was almost as if I had to worry about tiring myself out; I sort of liked the feeling, but I didn't at the same time.

"I do not believe that," I responded, deciding to not waste my energy on struggling any further. I figured that it'd be better, if this building was affecting my normal immortality, that I should simply follow her and see what happens from there. Perhaps I'll meet up with Bakura or Tiikeri again.

"Think what you want, I'm only telling the truth." From her tone, I was able to gather that she was ending the conversation on that note. I sighed, walking slowly behind her.

There was a dark, almost as much so as Zorc's presence, that was flowing through the air. It entered my bloodstream with every breath I took, and my blood felt colder every time I did so. It was a chilling feeling, and I hated it because I felt absolutely useless, unable to help the people I cared about at all.

It was so ironic. After all of these years of not having to use any sort of power to help anyone in a remarkable way, the one time where I really need any sort of power is when I can't do so. I understood why humans used to worship us like they did. Even though the thought of mortality had sounded interesting to me in past, I was aware of how weak I was at the current moment.

_Now…I sort of wish that I had never thought of mortals being the lucky ones in the world…this is a wretched feeling…_

* * *

><p>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<p>

Everything was dark, unbelievably so. There wasn't a speck of light I could see, and the gold-colored decal on my shirt seemed to stand out against the darkness.

"Hello?" I called, cupping my hands together by my mouth so the sound of my voice would travel a further distance. The only answer I got was the echoes that surrounded my, sending shivers through my already shaking body. Cautiously, I stuck my hands out in front of me, hoping that they would run into a wall of some sort so I could attempt to feel my way around.

_Well then, where am I…?_

I couldn't feel or see anything around me, and that was a bit creepy. After all, there could be something just in front of me waiting for me to walk toward it. Thoughts of that strange, black lion-like creature ran around in my mind, and I shook harder. Not only was I terrified, but I was also cold. I believed that it was simply my imagination, but I was starting to think that the temperature was steadily dropping.

"There's no use standing here…" I mused, slowly taking a step forward and waiting for something to happen. However, nothing did. The sound of my footstep was the only sound besides my breathing. That meant that I couldn't see, touch, and there wasn't much to hear. I didn't plan on tasting anything around here, especially if I didn't know what was around me, not that I would try doing so anyway.

That left me with the sense of smell. Taking a deep breath, inhaling the air around me, I was shocked with the scent that entered my nostrils. It sort of smelled familiar, but it was a scent that was easily known, one that I'd grown up smelling.

It was the smell of death.

* * *

><p>Bakura's P.O.V.<p>

I stepped back, away from the door before me. Small smoky tendrils of black were streaming from the gap near the floor. Marik and Ryo, not expecting my sudden retreat, stumbled backwards; the former ended up falling to the floor in the process.

"What in the name of Ra is going on here?" I growled, clenching my fists at the complexity of the current situation. The shadows emerging from the door seemed familiar, and it reminded me of the times I'd spent in the Shadow Realm, even more so of during the times that I had conversed with Zorc.

"I-I don't like this…" Ryo whimpered, peering around me to stare at the door fearfully. I shooed him and the Egyptian, signaling that they should move even further back. I shared a glance with the two before they followed my silent command, and I slowly moved even further away. I didn't like the feeling I was getting; it ran down my spine and my blood seemed to chill as it did.

"What's going on, Bakura?" Marik questioned, rising to his feet and dusting off his pants. I sighed.

"I'm not sure, honestly. But, it's not good, I do know that," I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryo begin to reach for his head.

"Well, that's obvious. What, Ryo? Do you have another headache?" Ryo looked up from studying the door at Marik's inquiry and nodded.

"That's been happening to you quite often recently…" I pondered the reasoning, believing that it was connected to whatever evil this organization, Paradius, was involved with. I didn't know much about it or the company itself, and that frustrated me. I had never liked being kept out of the loop of information that I needed to know, but I was sure that Ra had told us everything she knew earlier. She had no reason to withhold information from me after all.

"Is…it opening?" Ryo muttered, and I was barely able to catch his comment. Quickly, I looked up to see that the door was indeed beginning to open, and the temperature began to lower even further than the coldness that already existed here. The sound of footsteps made my muscles tense, and I awaited the arrival of the person who was obviously in there.

The shadowy wisps shot through the cracked door; they spread along the walls and coated them in black, giving the hallways an even more depressing look to them. Dots that seemed to glow bright red were scattered across the blackness; it gave the area an eerie feeling, and I felt the sudden urge to turn my head away, as if this was something I wasn't supposed to see.

"Hey you!" Marik shouted, pointing as a being suddenly emerged from the shadows. Chocolate brown hair was arranged messily upon the young man's head, and, at hearing the exclamation, he raised his head to look at us. His eyes were a dull shade of light blue, but there was a certain sinister look to them that I didn't like.

He turned away, lips pulled into a frown that obviously didn't fit him, and walked down the hall that was now lined with red spots on a black background. I could have sworn that I heard him mumble something about 'Wheeler', and I briefly wondered whether he was referring to the Pharaoh's friend.

"Is there anyone else?" Ryo wondered, apparently unsettled at the appearance of the previous person. Now that I had time to consider it, he seemed familiar. However, I shrugged it away from my thoughts, realizing that it didn't matter and that, recently, almost everything has felt familiar to me.

Soon enough, more footsteps sounded from the room. The door opened further, revealing that there was nothing was darkness beyond it. A girl, most likely younger than all three of us, seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Similar to the human before her, the dullness in her green eyes looked sinister in a way. Instead of walking away like the last one did, she walked toward us.

"Who are you?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes. She didn't even seem to be looking at me, I quickly realized. Following her line of vision with my eyes, I was met with Marik, who appeared to be stunned by her gaze. I snapped my fingers a few times in front of his face in an attempt to gain his attention once more, but he didn't seem to be affected in the least. He didn't even blink.

"Captivating…" the Egyptian muttered. The girl grinned, and I came to the conclusion that she was planning something for him.

"Hey Marik, I don't think now's the time to be looking at girls, especially if she's the enemy," Ryo scolded, tugging on Marik's sandy blond hair. Almost immediately, his body jumped, and he turned to look at Ryo.

"Huh…?" I was surprised when he seemed to regain his senses quickly, and the girl sighed, apparently thinking that her plan, whatever it had been, was working. I would have to thank Ryo later for finding out how to gain Marik's attention so quickly, even if he accomplished it by accident.

"Well, I thought I'd be able to do this the easy way," she breathed, beginning to dig through a bag attached to her red belt. For a split second, I was reminded of the belt that Kayla used to wear that had a similar appearance.

"Do what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her vagueness. Usually the 'villains' that tended to appear around the Pharaoh gave away their plans quite easily, and I hoped that this girl would do the same. However, she stayed silent as she searched through her bag, eventually gaining a small smirk on her expression.

"That's none of you business, Thief King." My eyes widened at the title, as I was sure that I didn't know this girl. I haven't even allowed anyone to find out about my previous identity from my Ancient Egyptian days, and it confused me that she knew this about me.

She pulled a deck of cards, Duel Monsters cards, into view, and I realizing that she wanted to challenge one of us to a duel. There was no doubt in my mind that she was in possession of one of those 'Orichalcos' cards that the Pharaoh had warned us about. Ryo didn't have his deck with him, so the choice was between Marik and I.

"So, care for a duel?" she inquired, her eyes feigned innocence as her asked the question. I stepped forward, fully intending to accept her challenge, but she frowned at seeing that I expected that she was asking me for a duel.

"Not you, him." I was shocked when she pointed at Marik, who, in turn, pointed at himself for confirmation. Quickly, the girl nodded.

"No worries, Bakura. Remember, I've never gotten the chance to use my own deck; it's pretty great, if I do say so myself!" he assured me, clamping one of his hands on my shoulder. He grinned confidently, flashing me a thumbs-up before removing the purple bag that I'd forgotten about him having. He pulled out a Duel Disk, and it was then that I realized she'd been wearing one the entire time. Then, still grinning, Marik tossed the bag to me, and I caught it, if only to prevent it from hitting me.

"For the love of Ra, Marik, I swear if you get your soul stolen-" I started.

"I mean it, Bakura, I've gotten a lot better at dueling! Right, Ryo?"

"Y-yeah, but do be careful."

"I will!"

"Marik-" I went to begin my statement once again, but I was interrupted by the blond once more.

"Listen, you should go find Kayla. I'm sure you'll be better off without me bothering you, right?"

"Well…" I mused, getting some time away from Marik did sound like a nice idea.

"If it worries you, Bakura, I'll stay with Marik," Ryo offered, timidly raising his hand as if he were in a classroom. I sighed, finally deciding to give into their combined reasoning. I threw the bag onto my shoulder, grabbing the strap and turning down a hallway that I thought we'd never been down. I looked over my shoulder.

"Just…don't do anything idiotic…" I warned before continuing on my way.

_Where…did that come from? Since when do I worry about people?_

* * *

><p>Marik's P.O.V.<p>

I looked in the direction Bakura had gone, watching his rapidly retreating figure in confusion.

"Did Bakura just show concern for our safety?" I asked, shocked at the thought of Bakura worrying about anyone. The only person I'd ever seen him care about at all was Kayla, but he treated us like disposable accomplices, at best.

"I…think so…" Ryo replied, sounding just as surprised as I was.

"Hm, it seems as though the Thief King is growing soft. How pitiful," the girl commented, shaking her head in what I believed to be a mixture of pity and contempt. I frowned, wondering how she knew so much about us when we didn't even know her name.

"Who are you?" I demanded, stomping a foot in frustration. She laughed dryly; it was a forced sound that revealed a past of trauma that was hiding behind her. My frown deepened.

"You may call me T. But, if you must know, my name is Tiikeri Toroso," she answered, talking as if it had no significance at all. However, the name struck a chord within me at once; I remembered that name. She was the girl who'd been talking with Ra in her dreams, and that explained why she seemed so focused on me. After all, Ra had been disguising herself as me.

That was a strange thought. This girl obviously believed that it had really been me, not Ra, she'd been encountering in her mind.

"I am Marik Ishtar." Even though I suspected that she already knew my name, I decided to introduce myself anyway for a reason I couldn't place. She nodded, not betraying any information to me that wasn't necessary, and that included whether or not she knew my name.

I studied her briefly while we shuffled each other's decks; the scars on her face intrigued me, and I couldn't help but wonder what they had come from. Luckily, she either didn't care or didn't notice. Slowly, solemnly, we walked away from each other before turning to face the other.

"Be careful, Marik!" Ryo called, and I glanced over my shoulder at him. The dark strands of shadowy material were still continuing their journey across the walls and they were now beginning to travel across the floor. My previous mood had been my usual one, mostly happy, but I had noticed months ago that I changed drastically when I starting dueling. I was remarkably serious, but I needed a clear head to duel; I had become aware of that fact recently.

"I will." I nodded reassuringly, more to myself than to him. Admittedly, I didn't like the idea of facing this 'Orichalcos' card that the Pharaoh had informed me of. I knew what the Shadow Realm was like, and I had survived it, but I had no idea what it would be like to have my soul stolen. Even so, with my insecurities, I activated my Duel Disk.

"Let's duel!"

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Did that satisfy all of you? Now, to the reviews!

**Bakura:** Oh great, they're quite long this time around.

**AGKamon:** I love long reviews!

_**VintageStardust - **_Hey you, I kind of missed seeing you amazingly long reviews which I enjoy reading immensely! Nah, I understand that people have lives to attend to outside of the world of fanfiction; I'm just glad that you're still reading. I'm trying to get a handle on writing creepy things, and it seems as though I'm succeeding; I've gotten a few comments about the Great Leviathan's creepiness. I love Ra; I'm totally keeping her around for as long as I can. And...Ryo/Ra...? Oh my gosh, I love that so much; I never would have thought of it. I have a sudden urge to draw that; I think I will later. Thanks! I've seen some writers who take forever to update, so I don't want to leave my readers waiting. I feel it's the least I can do if they're taking the time to read. I look forward to seeing whether you come up with anything! I also have a sudden urge to convince someone to cosplay as Kayla Kossori; that would be the best day of my life. Hope to see another review from you soon!

_**Kuraki-chan - **_Is this soon enough, Kuraki-chan? I now think that Raziel isn't human, or at least, not completely. Thanks for reviewing! *Kayla: Hey, hey, no fighting! -makes the most likely unintelligent decision of trying to split up Shadow's and Virah's argument- Oh, hey new OC! Raziel, right? -waves-*

_**sorecess of the nile - **_I enjoy keeping Ra in the plot; I wonder if she counts as an OC or not. I looked up both Dangershipping and Pastshipping; Dangershipping is taken by I believe Yami Marik/Seto Kaiba and Pastshipping is Marik/Namu, who are technically the same person since Namu is Marik's fake name from Battle City. And the one I was considering, Scarshipping, is taken by Thief King Bakura/Odion. So, let's keep thinking, alright?

**AGKamon:** Also, thanks to _**Lioutenant**** Flame**_ for adding A Pyromaniac's Past to their favorites list.

**Kayla:** Darn yaoi; it takes all of the good pairing names. So, if you come up with a potential shipping name for Marik/Tiikeri, make sure that you suggest it to us.

**Marik:** Yeah! That's where Blackmailshipping (Bakura/Kayla) got it's origin after all.

**Tiikeri:** Also, if you have any advice for writing duels, do you think you could pass it on to us? The duel between Marik and I is coming up soon.

**AGKamon:** *laughs nervously* Yeah, and I don't know where to start. I think it took me, like, a week to even set up the decks belonging to Bakura, Marik, Kayla, and Tiikeri. If you'll need me to give you the card lists for their decks, try to PM me instead, okay?

**Bakura:** Alright, let's get this chapter over and done with. Ryo?

**Ryo: **Read and review!


	11. The Fall of the Mighty Tiger

**AGKamon:** Well, it's finally here. The Marik vs. Tiikeri duel, which means that the Bakura vs. Kayla duel is fast approaching as well. I just have give credit where credit is due, I owe my fellow writer, VintageStardust a lot of thanks for helping me with this. She introduced to this website called DuelingNetwork; she looked over the decks I had for Marik and Tiikeri since I'm a complete beginner and had little-to-no idea what I was doing; she helped me figure the basics of dueling, and she dueled me on DuelingNetwork so I had reference. Not to mention that she answered any questions I had and kept track of all her plays (I did the same for myself) so, when combined, I had a play-by-play of the duel that I could write a chapter around. And she offered to do the same with the Kayla vs. Bakura duel.

**Marik:** So before she writes another chapter with her thank-you's, we are grateful to you VintageStardust.

**Kayla:** And to Kuraki-chan, who gave AG advice as well.

**AGKamon:** Really, I am thankful.

**Bakura:** Yeah, yeah, let's get on with the chapter already. I really doubt people want to read your babbling.

**Ryo:** You really should try to be nicer, Bakura.

**Tiikeri:** Since when has Bakura been nice? Anyway, AGKamon doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it; she only owns Kayla and I.

**AGKamon:** Yeah! Thanks guys, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

Even though I seemed confident, I was extremely nervous on the inside. The thought of losing my soul unsettled me to no end, but I hid my uncertainty so she didn't attempt to play with my head. After all, I've already had my head messed with by my dark half; I didn't want something like that to happen again.

I gazed at my hand; it was fairly decent. There were a few spells and a few monsters; it could be worse. I looked up at my opponent, T, as she told me to call her, she seemed younger than I was, but not by much. Even with the current situation's utter seriousness, I had to admit that there was an attractive quality about her appearance.

"Ladies first," I remarked. I did have some manners after all; I tried to read her expression in order to find out whether she'd gotten a good hand or not, but I couldn't. Her expression was completely blank, and her eyes were dull. Nodding slightly, she drew a card.

"If you insist, then I activate The Seal of Orichalcos!" She slapped the card into the Field Spell area of her black Duel Disk, and a light erupted from beneath me. The halls around me disappeared, and I looked down to see a pair of green lights forming a shape under my feet. I stepped back, startled at the sudden difference as the halls faded back into view.

"Now, I'll set one monster face-down and end my turn." I smirked, realizing that she most likely hadn't gotten a very good hand. Either that, or none of the cards she was holding were useful as of yet. I didn't really care about that though, and, with a smug expression, I drew a card. Putting the trap card in my hand to be set later, I selected a monster.

"Alright then, I summon Witch of the Black Forest!" As I slid the card into its slot in the Disk, a hologram of the purple-haired woman dressed in a long gown appeared before me.

"Attack her face-down card!" I commanded, and the feminine monster dashed forward, destroying the monster with a single blow. However, it turned itself face-up first, revealing that it was a small rodent-like animal.

"I activate Bubonic Vermin's effect. When it's flipped face-up, I can summon another one from my deck in face-down position," the brunette explained as she quickly searched through her cards, soon pulling out and setting it face-down where her previous monster had been, but that one was now in the Graveyard. However, a copy of the monster had appeared to take its place.

_How frustrating…she's finding a way to keep her defenses up until she has a decent card to play._

"Fine then. I'll set one card face-down. Your move." With her ever-blank expression, she drew another card, still not revealing whether she was happy with the result or not.

"Alright, I'll place another monster face-down, and I'll also set a face-down." I narrowed my eyes, slightly miffed at the turnout of the duel so far. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the other duels I've had after Battle City. I sighed in defeat, drawing a card. I mentally shrugged; it wasn't a bad card, and I decided to keep it around for later.

"I summon Pyramid Turtle in attack mode; attack!" This time, I headed for the face-down card that I knew wasn't one of the annoying rodents, curious to find out what it was. Briefly, it was flipped face-up before it disappeared in a mass of pixels; I noted that the monster had been an Armored Rat, and I felt glad that my monster had been strong enough to defeat it.

"Now, Witch of the Black Forest, destroy her other face-down card." I already knew for a fact that it was one of those Bubonic Vermin, so I didn't feel worried that my monster would be defeated.

"And, once again, I can summon another Bubonic Vermin in my old one's place in face-down defense mode," the brunette remarked as she shuffled through her deck, soon pulling out a card. She sent the previous Bubonic Vermin to the graveyard before placing a new one in face-down defense mode in its place.

My frown deepened; I was really beginning to get annoyed with her current stalling of the game. I didn't like the idea of having my opponent lose their soul along with the duel, but, I rather it'd be her than me. I wanted to get this duel over and done with, but I needed to summon a stronger card in order to break through her weak but effective defenses.

"I set one card face-down to end my turn." Briefly glancing in the direction of her deck, as if hoping for a decent card, she drew a card. Still, I was unable to decipher whether she'd gotten her silent wish granted.

"I'll set another monster face-down and end my turn." A third face-down card appeared on her side of the field, keeping her obvious Bubonic Vermin and that unknown spell or trap company. Rolling my eyes, I drew my next card, neither disappointed or happy about the result. I already had one of this card in my hand, but it wasn't a horrible card.

"I'll sacrifice my Witch of the Black Forest in order to summon Vampire Lord! And, because of my Witch's special ability, I can choose one monster with 1500 or less defense points and put it in my hand. I have to show it to you, of course, but that's really no problem to me." As my stronger monster materialized on the field, I searched my deck for a card I could use that still fit the criteria of Witch of the Black Forest's effect. Finally deciding on a card, I showed the monster, Patrician of Darkness, to the younger duelist.

"Pyramid Turtle, attack that face-down!" I pointed to the card that wasn't the Bubonic Vermin and awaited the result.

"Silly move, Marik." The card flipped face-up, revealing a dark gray, almost black, cat-like animal with a light-colored tail. It narrowed its eyes at me before disappearing in a mass of pixels.

"Why's that?" I questioned. In reality, I'd never seen that card before, or, if I had, I didn't know what its effect, or effects, were.

"Allow me to explain. When Dark Cat with White Tail is flipped face-up, I can return one monster on my side of the field to my hand, and you have to return two of your monsters to your hand. And, it seems that you only have two monsters," she explained, returning her face-down Bubonic Vermin to her hand. With an upset huff, I did the same with my Pyramid Turtle and Vampire Lord.

_And I'd just summoned Vampire Lord too…_

"I end my turn." I thought that I saw a flicker of a smirk flash across her lips as she drew a card, and I felt triumphant that I was able to get some sort of reaction out of my opponent.

"Okay, so I'll set one card face-down and summon Burglar in attack mode. Since your field is void of monsters, I'll attack you directly!" My eyes widened slightly as she suddenly went on the offensive, and her small creature pounced at me; its metal claws swung at me as some flecks of light emanated from it, signaling my lost life points.

"Nice move."

"Thank you, I end my turn." Now that there was damage being dealt, even if the attacks were being directed at me, I felt a lot more interested in this duel. It was only one attack, but it suddenly got my blood pumping again. With an excited grin, I drew a card. I refrained from allowing my grin to grow wider; this card would surely come in handy later.

"First, I activate Call of the Mummy. Once per turn, if I have no monsters on my side of the field, I can summon a Zombie-type monster from my hand, and I summon Patrician of Darkness! I'll also summon my Pyramid Turtle in attack mode. Now, Pyramid Turtle, attack her Burglar!" I commanded.

"Not going to work, I activate Mirror Force!" My smirk quickly faded into a frown, seeing as I'd just gotten those two monsters on the field. With a single trap card, they were being sent to the graveyard before I even had a chance to use them. I growled as I sent my two monsters to the grave.

"In that case, I place one card face-down and end my turn." I slid the card I'd previously drawn into one of the spell/trap card slots in the Duel Disk; I was starting to think that she was planning on keeping my monsters off the field for as long as she could manage to.

**- Tiikeri: 8000 Life Points - Marik: 7150 Life Points - **

"My turn then. First, I'll set a monster in face-down defense position. Next, I activate Magical Stone Excavation. So I discard two cards in my hand to regain one spell card from my graveyard and place it back in my hand. And finally, Burglar, attack him directly!" I flinched as the monster's claws came close to me; it really didn't hurt severely, it simply stung as the attack made contact with my skin.

"Your move." Grimacing, I took a card from the top of my deck.

"Alright then, I summon Sangan in attack mode! And I'll have it attack your Burglar!" I smiled, knowing that she probably didn't have a way to defend her monster this time. Luckily, she didn't.

"I think I'll end my turn there." Nodding, she drew a card.

**- Tiikeri: 7850 Life Points - Marik: 6300 Life Points -**

"I'll summon my Armored Rat in defense mode, and I set one card face-down. You're up." I frowned again, hoping that she'd simply gotten a bad draw. The duel had been exciting for a moment, but, at least both of us have taken damage now.

…_There's no doubt in my mind that her facedown is Mirror Force…_

She had seemed to use Magical Stone Excavation fairly quickly after she'd used that Mirror Force trap on me, so I didn't have a speck of doubt in my mind that she planned on using it again. Looking at her suspiciously, I slowly drew my next card, and I forced myself to not explode with joy at seeing the card in my hand. This was my strongest card.

However, I didn't have enough monsters on my field to sacrifice, so summoning this beast would have to wait. Hopefully, I'd only have to wait a turn or two; I was absolutely ecstatic to see this monster, seeing as I'd never even gotten the chance to use it before.

"I summon Spirit Reaper in attack mode, and my turn will end there." She raised one of her eyebrows slightly, obviously wary of my sudden change in attitude, and I wondered if I'd really displayed my happiness in what I'd drawn that easily.

"Hm, I summon Armored Rat in attack mode."

_Why…? She already has one; why didn't she just change it into attack mode?_

"And now, Armored Rat, attack his Spirit Reaper!" I winced at the pixels flying my way that were shed by my Spirit Reaper, but the monster didn't vanish.

"Luckily for me, Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed in battle, even if I still take the damage." I shrugged as my life points decreased; at least I still had the number of monsters that I needed.

"Fine, I end my turn." I smirked, not particularly caring about the card I drew; although, I did spare a glance at it.

"Now, I sacrifice my Sangan and my Spirit Reaper in order to summon Despair from the Dark! And, I can add a monster with 1500 or less attack points to my hand due to Sangan's effect." I chuckled as I rapidly searched through my deck, eventually pulling out a Pyramid Turtle to add to my hand. I looked up from my hand to see how she'd reacted to my move. There wasn't an emotion showing on her face, but there was a certain determination in her eyes that I was barely able to see; it was mixed with fear. She probably feared losing; I know that I wasn't exactly excited knowing that I'd have to allow this girl to lose her soul in order to find Kayla.

She looked quite innocent for where she was, and I suspected that she hadn't joined this organization by choice. There was a small part of me, and it was growing bigger, that wanted to help her, but I couldn't. Ryo and I told Bakura to go find Kayla, but that was the goal of all of us. A part of me ached knowing this, but I had to refrain myself from trying to assist her in escaping this horrible place, at least until we knew that Kayla was alright. Perhaps I'd be able to come back and find her afterward.

"Despair from the Dark, attack her Armored Rat!" I shouted, pointing toward the one that was in attack mode. I saw her eyes widen for a moment before I noticed her activating her face-down.

"I activate Mirror Force; now your monster's sent to the graveyard!" I sighed, sending it to the graveyard.

"Normally, that would be the case, but when Despair from the Dark is destroyed due to a card effect, I can special summon it right back to the field." I slapped the card back onto its spot on my Duel Disk, and the monster reappeared on the field.

"…So I just wasted it…?" I could barely hear her muttered words from where I was standing.

**- Tiikeri: 7850 Life Points - Marik: 5650 Life Points -**

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><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

I stared up at the Egyptian's large monster, determined not to lose. I could formulate a plan; I just had to hold out for as long as I could. I drew a card.

"I summon Cat's Ear Tribe in defense mode, and I also switch my Armored Rat to defense mode. I'll end my turn there." I watched as he drew his card, and I quickly got an idea.

_Bazoo the Soul Eater…that could work, right? After all, Despair from the Dark can be destroyed by the attacks of a monster. _

"I summon Spirit Reaper in attack mode, and I'll attack Cat's Ear Tribe with it!" As quickly as I'd summoned the small trio of cats, they vanished into an explosion of tiny pixels as I put the card in the grave.

"Your turn." I nodded, more focusing on thinking up a plan of how I could defeat that monster instead of the young man's words. I glanced at the card; it could keep me safe for now, but it couldn't really help me that much.

"I summon the Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness in defense mode and end my turn." I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to regain my train of thought which quickly found itself back in my mind where it belonged.

_On its own, Bazoo the Soul Eater won't be able to defeat that thing, but what if I activate its special ability…? No, that would still only give it 2500 attack points…I need 300 more…_

"Alright, I activate Book of Life to special summon my Patrician of Darkness from the graveyard, and I also remove from play one of the Bubonic Vermin in your graveyard."

"That's no issue…" I mumbled, knowing that I still had enough monsters in my grave that could power up Bazoo the Soul Eater.

"Now I attack your Archfiend Marmot with Patrician of Darkness! Also, Despair from the Dark, attack one of her Armored Rats!" The two monsters became specks of yellow and white in seconds, leaving me with only two monsters left.

"And I'll activate my trap, Raigeki Break. This card allows me to destroy one of your monsters, as long as I discard one my own cards first. So I think I'll destroy that facedown of yours!" The flipped itself over, revealing that the monster was A Cat of Ill Omen, before it vanished as well.

"Are you done?" I asked in a dull tone, hoping that he wouldn't have another trick up his sleeve somewhere.

"Yes, your move." I drew a card and felt my hopes in drawing a useful card during this turn shatter; it could defend me, but I only had two monsters left.

"I'll set a monster face-down and end my turn." I sighed, placing the card in the appropriate slot before continuing in my though process.

_If I use my equip card, Beast Fangs, that would give Bazoo another 300 attack points, meaning that it would have the same attack as Despair from the Dark. Admittedly, they would both be destroyed, but I'd rather get that monster of Marik's in the graveyard before it damages me too badly._

I felt relieved at knowing there was a way that I could defeat Marik's Despair from the Dark, but I had to be able to draw the right cards first. I hoped that I'd be able to win this duel as Marik drew his card.

"I sacrifice Spirit Reaper to summon Vampire Lord in attack mode and use it to destroy your Armored Rat!" Once again, my monster disappeared in a mass of light-colored flecks.

"And now, my Patrician of Darkness will attack your face-down monster." The monster, Dark Cat with White Cat, flipped its card upright before also disappearing.

"I activate Dark Cat with White Tail's effect! And I believe that you already know what it does. Patrician of Darkness and Vampire Lord are returning to your hand," I remarked, feeling slightly relieved that I wasn't facing three powerful monsters now. However, Despair from the Dark was still yet to attack, and I was defenseless.

"Attack her directly!" I braced myself for the incoming damage as I listened to the sound of my life point meter reducing the number of points I had remaining. This wasn't turning out very good for me.

**- Tiikeri: 5050 Life Points - Marik: 5650 Life Points - **

"And I'll set one card face-down to end my turn." I took in a deep breath, hoping for a card that would help me somehow. I could endure one more attack from that thing, but after that, I'd be done. Drawing a card, I could feel my expression fall.

"I summon Dark Cat with White Tail in defense mode. That's all." I saw no point in placing it face-down; even if Marik activated its effect, Despair from the Dark would still return to the field.

_I need those cards to survive this duel; just two cards, that's it._

Marik gave me a confused glance, obviously wondering why I hadn't bothered to place Dark Cat face-down, but he shrugged it off in favor of drawing a card.

"I summon Pyramid Turtle in attack mode; now, attack her Dark Cat!" Flashes of yellow and white appeared before me as the black-and-white cat retreated to my graveyard.

"Despair from the Dark, attack her directly!" The force of the attack knocked the wind out of me, and the rapid beeping of my life point meter was beginning to annoy me. I knew that I was losing large chunks of my once plentiful life points; I also knew that if I didn't draw a decent card on my next turn, I'd lose.

**- Tiikeri: 2250 Life Points - Marik: 5650 Life Points - **

Taking in a shaky breath, I slowly drew what could be my last card. And my eyes widened.

It was a trap card.

I couldn't use this. This card, Horn of the Phantom Beast, had to be equipped to a monster, but I didn't have any monsters on the field. I didn't have any in my hand that could be summoned. The only monster, and the only other card in my hand, was a level six monster.

_I failed…I won't be able to help Kayla…_

I looked up from my hand at my opponent and couldn't help but think that I was happy I'd been able to meet Marik outside of my dreams for once before my soul was taken. I didn't even know what it meant to have my soul taken, but Kayla had assured me that it wouldn't be good. I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat, ready to face my fate.

* * *

><p>Marik's P.O.V.<p>

Slowly, she raised her head to look at me, and I was shocked by the emotion I was finding in her emerald-green eyes.

"Hey…are you-" I began before she interrupted me. A sad smile crept its way onto her lips.

"I'm not going to make it out of this duel. All the cards in my hand are useless to me now. I end my turn without dong anything." Her hands dropped to hang by her sides, and she barely seemed to have a grip on her cards. I drew a card for myself, not even bothering to look at it.

"Do you think that you could do a favor for me?" Stunned by her words, I wouldn't have expected her to give up, but, I suppose that if she was telling the truth about her hand, then I think that I would feel pretty hopeless if I was in her position.

"Sure…" I agreed.

"When you find Kayla, tell her that I forgive her for what she said to me. And...I'm glad that it was you who defeated me, Marik." I quickly recalled that Ra had said that she'd been close friends with Kayla, and that Ra had been communicating with this girl in her dreams while using my form. I was tempted to tell her the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to do so when she already looked so helpless.

Perhaps I'd get to tell her after this incident was all over. Besides, I'd like to get to know her anyway; there was a certain quality about her that I liked. She seemed to be drawing me in like a magnet.

"I will. I'll...make this quick; Despair from the Dark, end this duel!" I forced myself to look away as my monster's attack came in contact with the small girl. Soon, all of the duel holograms disappeared.

**- Tiikeri: 0 Life Points - Marik: 5650 Life Points - **

The green circle on the floor made by the Orichalcos shrunk and surrounded her feet, and, by pure instinct, I stepped forward to try to help her.

"…T…I…" I didn't even know what I was saying to her, but I really wanted her to look at me.

"Don't come any closer, Marik." I stopped in my tracks, keeping her gaze when she looked up at me.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get caught in this too. I'm the one who lost, so my soul gets taken. You need to go save Kayla, alright?" I actually wanted to stay here and speak with her for a little longer, but I still nodded.

"I'll come back, okay? Then we can talk, you know, when you're actually awake." I smiled sadly, and she returned the expression, adding in a small, weak sound that resembled a laugh.

"Go, Marik. I know you'll come back, you always do. Good luck." Tearing my eyes away from hers, I motioned to Ryo. I was surprised that he'd stayed so silent during the entire duel, but I was glad he had. I'd never liked it when people tried to cheer me on during duels; I always found it to be distracting. The white-haired boy nodded and quickly started walking down the hallway Bakura had gone down a while back, sparing a sad glance in Tiikeri's direction.

I began to follow him, but just as I was about to turn the corner, I looked back at the small brunette girl. Slowly, she settled herself against the wall and closed her eyes, as if preparing for a nap. I blinked a few times, rubbing away the strange, odd-out-place, water-like substance that threatened to release itself from my eyes. With a determined expression, I followed Ryo, hoping that nothing would happen to her now-soulless body in my absence.

_Be safe…Tiikeri…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Poor Tiikeri! I knew that she was going to lose the duel from the very beginning, but there was so much bonding between her and Marik. Also, when Marik starts to notice the emotions in her eyes, that's when The Great Leviathan let her free, figuring that she would lose and was, therefore, useless. So, at least she had her own free will in the end.

**Tiikeri:** Yeah...reviews?

**AGKamon:** I don't have to reminded, really.

_**VintageStardust - **_I won't stop you from praising my story; it keeps me writing. Did it live up to your expectations? I actually did draw that, it was adorable by the way, but it was just a sketch. If I decide to really put some effort into it, then I might end up posting it on DeviantArt. How's that cosplay coming along anyway? I'd be honored; I seriously thought you were kidding about the blue wig. If you want, you could try using Kayla's outfit from this story instead of her one from Neutral. After all, she wears a shirt under her vest in this story; all the reference material you need is on my DeviantArt anyway. Thanks, I will. But really, thanks for helping me with the duel; even if you got that speech-like-thing up there. *points to top of chapter*

_**Kuraki-chan - **_...That was unexpected, with Raziel and everything. *Kayla: Hey! Oh, hey Shadow, Virah! -races over and glomps Raziel while talking to the other two-* I like details. A lot. Seriously. It takes me forever to finish things because of all the details I often end up including; that is why I can describe things in my writing so well. I'm kind of glad that I didn't have to write for The Great Leviathan this chapter; it's nice to take a break from his evilness. I hope that this chapter, seeing as it's one of the longest ones I've written, satisfies your eagerness!

_**sorecess of the nile - **_Yeah, I've got nothing against yaoi, I just don't see its appeal. Besides, there are way too many yaoi shippings out there; they're probably countless. Speaking of a shipping that works...

**AGKamon:** What do you all think about having the shipping name for Marik/Tiikeri being Goldshipping? VintageStardust came up with it, and I think it makes sense. They both wear gold jewelry for one, and the Winged Dragon of Ra brought them together. The color gold (or yellow) sort of represents Ra, don't you think? Thanks Kuraki-chan for making me realize that point about Ra. Anyway, thanks to Mariklover222 for adding this story to their favorites and thank you to Quiet Harmony-chan for adding Neutral to their favorites.

**Kayla:** Really guys, all the support we're getting is amazing! I mean, Vintage, cosplaying as me? I'm so honored!

**Ryo:** It is pretty great how popular of an OC you are, Kayla.

**Bakura:** True. Thanks for the reviews and stuff.

**Marik:** Tiikeri's pretty amazing too! We really do appreciate the support and great reviews, as well as the fanart and cosplay offers.

**AGKamon:** That really surprised me. Drawing Kayla is one thing, but cosplaying is on another level since you have to get the outfit and stuff.

**Tiikeri:** Anyway, keep reading and reviewing everyone. We'll see you next chapter.


	12. The Arising Doubt Inside

**AGKamon: **This is a short chapter, but I didn't want to have the two duels one after the other. So, this is a little build-up, but the Bakura vs. Kayla duel will be next chapter.

**Bakura:** Oh fun.

**Marik:** Ah, chill out, Bakura. It's not like you'll be fighting her in the authoress notes too.

**Tiikeri:** For once, Marik has a point. Ryo, do you want to say the disclaimer?

**Ryo:** Sure. AGKamon18 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it. She only owns her OC's, Kayla Kossori and Tiikeri Toroso.

**Kayla:** Yeah, start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

A shock rang through my system, forcing me to stall my movement for a moment. Kayla turned back to glare at me, silently questioning why I'd stopped. However, I didn't pay her any mind.

Something was wrong, and Tiikeri was involved.

This felt even worse than it had before; it almost reminded me of the sensation that I got whenever someone I'd known would die, but this felt darker. It was as if she were being held captive in some sort of dark prison, but she was still alive. I could tell that much.

"Why are you resisting again? Let's go," my captor growled, pulling on my arm once more. Another shot of pain ran through the entirety of my body at the action, and I winced. I wasn't used to feeling physical pain, and I assumed that I was more sensitive toward it as a result. I was in the midst of turning back to the girl when a flash of white and black in the distance caught my attention.

_What…? Is that…Bakura…?_

"Bakura!" I shouted, and the white and black figure back-pedaled, coming back into my field of view. Instantly, I recognized the white spikes flying up and away from his head, as well as the dark clothing. I could feel Kayla's muscles tense, and her grip on my arm tightened even further.

"…Bakura? Why is he here?" I couldn't identify the tone of her voice. For the most part, she sounded angry at him, and I didn't know why. However, I was able to hear a small, barely noticeable, hint of relief in her voice. I don't even think that she knew it was there, hiding amongst her harsh words.

* * *

><p>Bakura's P.O.V.<p>

_That voice…!_

I whirled my head around, stepping back so I could see down the hallway, and I felt my heart stop for a moment before it restarted, beating faster than it normally would.

"Ra…?" I muttered, but I didn't focus on her figure; instead, my eyes quickly traveled to the blue-haired young woman holding onto her arm.

"Kayla?" I could see the utter shock spreading across her face and wondered whether she was still angry with me or not. I wished that the latter was true. However, my hopes were dashed when her frown deepened, and her dark-blue eyes narrowed. Even so, I began to walk towards the pair.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Her voice seemed dark, and it almost seemed as though she trying to restrain herself from growling at me.

"I'm looking for you, of course. What else would I be doing in a dump like this?" As I stood a mere foot away from her, she eyed me warily. However, I simply stood there, awaiting her reaction. I needed to see what she was going to do. I glanced down, seeing a strange, black Duel Disk clamped around her wrist. Briefly, my memory flashed back to the girl that Marik was supposed to be dueling, and I remembered that she'd had a similar one.

"Why would you be looking for me? You left me alone, if I remember correctly." There was a sarcastic tone hidden in her last sentence, proving that she really did think that I'd purposely left her. That was far from the truth, seeing as I was forced to leave.

"I didn't leave by choice, Kayla. I was forced, and if I'd had a choice in the matter, I wouldn't have left at all." She glared up at me, and there wasn't a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She didn't believe me, but I didn't know how I could prove to her that I was telling the truth. I've always been good at making people believe my lies, whenever I told them, but I've never had to convince someone of the truth.

Then again, I've been doing things that I've never done ever since I met her.

"Like I believe you. You were a thief, so you're good at telling lies."

_What can I do to regain her trust?_

"But…" However, there was nothing that I could think of to say. I had never been in a situation like this before, and I didn't have any idea about how to solve it.

"But, what?" Her head tilted to once side, feigning her innocence and confusion, when, in reality, I could tell that she knew that I didn't know what to say to her. My words failed me. I've talked my way out of countless situations that could have led to my death, but I couldn't regain the trust of someone I cared about.

_How pitiful…_

"…Bakura…?" Ra's voice, filled with worry, suddenly snapped me out of my daze, and I looked away from Kayla to the Egyptian God in a human disguise.

"Ugh, you know what? Let's stop the chatter." I looked back to Kayla once more; she rolled her eyes and dug into her bag with a frown still taking residence on her lips. Quickly, she pulled a deck of Duel Monsters cards out and glared over at me. She let go of Ra's arm and harshly shoved her away, and I shared a glance with her, wondering if she was alright. However, she smiled and nodded, and I took that as a sign of reassurance. Besides, she was an Egyptian God; she'd be fine.

"Let's duel. Is that alright, King of Betrayal?" I blinked, the words were really starting to get to me. All of her insults and harsh words were beginning to crawl under my skin, placing the weird sensation of self-doubt within me. I've always been brimming with confidence, so how was it that the words of a single girl could bring me down like she was?

However, I nodded and began to dig through the bag Marik had thrown me before I left him and Ryo behind, looking for a Duel Disk. I couldn't help but wonder whether he'd won his duel while I did so. Luckily, I was able to find one, and I snapped it on my wrist. My other hand dug into my coat pocket, searching for the deck that I'd stored in there for later use.

"Something wrong?" she asked, the sweetness of her voice was so obviously fake that I held back cringing at the real meaning of her words. She was aware that she was getting to me, and she wanted to make sure that I knew that she did. Back in Ancient Egypt, I'd used similar tactics all the time.

"Nothing at all," I lied. She laughed; it was a cruel and chilling sound that sent shivers running down my spine, but I carefully hid them so she wouldn't know how much she was affecting me. We shuffled each other's decks before we placed our decks in our own Duel Disks and activated them, standing a fair distance away from each other.

"Shall we start the duel, Betrayal King?" I inwardly flinched at the new name she'd given me; she was playing off my old title.

_How does she even know that I was the Thief King?_

"We shall." My insides churned at knowing that she had that card, The Seal of Orichalcos, in her deck; I knew that she would play it as soon as she acquired it. The loser of the duel would have their soul taken, and I didn't want her to get hurt, but I had to snap her back to her senses. I suspected that the only way for her to return to her usual self would be through losing a duel, but I wasn't looking forward to this.

_Kayla, I really don't want you to get hurt, but I know you'll understand…_

* * *

><p>Marik's P.O.V.<p>

I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. A little more than a year ago, I had been sending people to the Shadow Realm on a regular basis, but I'd never seen their faces when I did it. I was also sending them there from the confines of my boat, controlling them like puppets on strings until they failed me. The fact that I'd seen her face was the main difference between then and now for me.

However, I didn't know what the difference was between being sent to the Shadow Realm and having your soul taken. Even so, that girl, Tiikeri, had willingly accepted her fate as if it were nothing more than a nap she had to take. She was brave for how young she looked.

"Which way do you think he went, Marik?" Ryo asked, looking back at me from over his shoulder. I sighed and shrugged. Quite honestly, this was seriously bothering me. I knew that she had to lose that duel if I was going to keep on going with Ryo to help Bakura save Kayla, but the look in her eyes when she'd told me that she was going to lose wouldn't leave my mind.

"Marik, you had to do it. I'm sure she doesn't blame you for anything." I shook my head; her blaming me wasn't what I was worried about. She had given up and told me to win the duel, so she'd known what was coming.

"I just…can't get that look in her eyes out of my head…" I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping to clear my mind somewhat so I could focus on finding Bakura. Looking up from the tiled floor that I'd been studying intently, I gazed down the three hallways before Ryo and I. There was no way of knowing which way Bakura had gone.

"I'm sure that her soul will be able to return to her body in due time, after this mess is over and done with. So, as I was saying, which way?" I smiled sadly and nodded, agreeing with Ryo's reasoning and hoping that it would be proven true.

"There's no sign of which way he could have gone. I don't have any more of an idea than you do, Ryo." He was about to respond when a chill descended in the air, and a strange sound that reminded me of breathing entered my ears. Suddenly, a streak of black shot by us, traveling along the wall before it transferred to the floor and continued by turning down the hall to my left.

"Hey, didn't that look like that black shadow from before…?" Ryo questioned; his voice shook slightly from fear. I nodded, and an idea appeared in my head.

"You know how that shadow-like thing was spreading while I was dueling Tiikeri?"

"Yes."

"What if Bakura found Kayla, and they're getting ready to duel? Maybe that thing's heading for them!" I remarked, gesturing with my hand in the direction that it went. Ryo thought it over quickly.

"So, should we follow it?"

"Yeah, I think so! Besides, it's our best bet, right?"

"I agree, let's go!" With those words of agreement from the white-haired teenager, the two of us took off in the direction that the black shadow had gone. The entire time, Tiikeri's last words ran though my head, her voice echoed in my mind.

'_Go, Marik. I know you'll come back, you always do. Good luck.'_

I was going to return for her after this was over. Admittedly, I barely knew her, but there was a strange connection with her that I was feeling, almost like a pull.

_Just wait for me…_

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> I told you guys it was short. Anyway, on to the reviews!

_**VintageStardust - **_That title, I had to use it. It was so perfect, and it went with my attempt at making all the chapter titles start with a word that begins with the letter 'T'. Dude, you're crying? Well, I don't like making people cry, but I'm glad that I can write good enough to trigger an emotional response. I like writing emotions; I was actually worried that all of my details and the emotions would overshadow the duel, but I'm happy to know that I found a nice, happy balance. Well, I hope you're ready for another duel, then. Since the Kayla and Bakura duel is next chapter, so we need to duel so I can get the play-by-play. Thanks!

_**sorecess of the nile - **_She did cosplay! And, I think that I will be using Goldshipping. Hm, I had trouble logging in to DuelingNetwork, but I can't help you there. Have you tried getting a new email account?

_**sorecess of the nile (On the Holiday Side review) - **_I was trying to make it really cute and fluffy since I don't really write much of that kind of stuff. I just came up with their favorite colors by thinking about their personality traits and such; I didn't delve into Egyptian history at all. But it's good to be a nerd about something you like!

**AGKamon:** Also, thanks to sorecess of the nile for adding On the Holiday Side to their favorites list. Thank you to Viki boom for adding this story to their favorites, as well as for Aya Ayame for adding me to their author alerts.

**Kayla:**And AG had decided, the shipping name for Marik/Tiikeri will be Goldshipping.

**Marik:** Well, I don't mind the name.

**Tiikeri:** *shrugs* Me neither.

**Ryo:** Thanks VintageStardust for suggesting it!

**AGKamon:** Yeah, now Bakura, how about you sign us out?

**Bakura:** Ugh, fine. Read and review. Also, we're three reviews away from hitting thirty.


	13. The Conflict of the Heart and Mind

**AGKamon:** Hey guys, all of you are probably sick and tired of waiting for this chapter, so I'll try to keep this brief. Basically, this chapter was taking so long because I really wanted to make this duel well-written, so I kept waiting for time to write but homework kept piling up on me. Then, I got writers' block. So I started a couple other fics to help myself with that. Speaking of which, if you like FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Durarara!, I suggest you check either _Praise_ or _Money and Dogs_ out, respectively. I'm not even going to let the other characters talk here, they can wait.

Anyway, I don't own anything related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, I only own my OC's, Kayla Kossori and Tiikeri Toroso.

Enjoy the long-overdue chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

She grinned as she drew her hand, and the glint in her dark eyes made me wary of what her first move would be.

"Betrayal King, I hope that you don't mind, but I'm taking the first move." I nodded, knowing that either way, she was going to have the first turn no matter what I said to her. "Alright, first I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!"

As soon as she slapped the card into her field spell slot, the ground beneath my feet began to glow, the lines of light connected together, forming the shape of what was depicted on the card. I knew the effect of this card; whoever lost would have their soul lost. Although, whatever dark magic was in this card mystified me, as I had never felt such an ancient power before.

"And next I summon Dancing Fairy in attack mode! That's the end of my turn." The card was placed on one of the monster slots on her Duel Disk, and a group of three, small fairies appeared on the field, the trio held hands and happily pranced in a circle - as if they were doing a type of childish dance that their name suggested.

I drew my card and placed it in my hand to save it for later use and picked another that was a monster who could defend me for now, as I didn't currently have one in my hand that could defeat her Dancing Fairy.

"I summon Wall of Illusion in defense mode, and I'll also set one card facedown before ending my turn." I slid the card into its facedown position as the monster appeared on my side of the field, and my opponent laughed in a way that set chills down my spine. It reminded me so much of my disposition back in Duelist Kingdom and the very beginning of Battle City.

"What? Don't you have any of your powerful monsters, Betrayal King?" she asked, once again adjusting the tone of her voice in order to feign the innocence she didn't have.

"It's your move," I said simply, looking across the playing field at her and awaiting her next action.

"Ah, I knew this duel would be easy for me. Alright, alright, I draw." She did as she said and smirked at the card she now held. "This is great. I set this monster in facedown defense mode and end my turn."

I, instantly feeling a tad wary of the monster she set - it was almost as if I knew there was some sort of ability she was just waiting to use - drew my card, hoping that it would be a monster that could assist me in defeating the Dancing Fairy and steering clear of the facedown for now. However, this was not the case, but this card would come in handy.

"First, I summon Headless Knight in attack mode. Next, I'll set one card facedown and activate the spell card, Goblin Thief. This allows me to gain five hundred life points, while you lose five hundred." As our life points changed, she shrugged.

"I'm not too worried; I'm sure that you won't stay ahead of me in terms of life points for too long. You done?"

"Yes."

**- Kayla: 7500 Life Points - Bakura: 8500 Life Points -**

"Then, it's my turn once again!" She seemed utterly amused by this duel, I noticed as she drew her card, by the fact that I seemed so reserved and unsure about my moves, and by the fact that she could possibly be the cause of me losing my soul. However, I really didn't want to think about that last detail, as I knew that it was going to happen to one of us, and I wasn't looking forward to either.

"I'll equip this Silver Bow and Arrow to my Dancing Fairy and then flip my facedown monster to face-up position. And now, my Fire Sorcerer's ability activates, meaning you take eight hundred points of damage after I discard two cards!" She grinned in an almost sadistic manner as two of her cards were sent to the graveyard, and I just barely held back flinching as the sting from the damage registered in my system.

"Are you finished?" I questioned, straightening up once again.

"No, Dancing Fairy, attack his Headless Knight!"

"Not so fast! I activate the trap, Sakuretsu Armor, which means both your monster and its equip card are destroyed!" I countered, flipping the trap card face-up as the trio of fairies closed in on my knight.

"Hmph, you just got lucky; I end my turn."

"Then I draw…" I tried to hide the deepening of my frown as I stared disappointedly at the new addition to my hand; it couldn't help me. "I'll just summon The Portrait's Secret in defense mode and end my turn."

"Everything alright over there, Betrayal King? It seems you're getting some pretty bad draws if you're moves are anything to go by."

"No one can have a good draw every turn," I retorted calmly. She shrugged, letting a little girlish chuckle fly from her lips.

"Yeah, I guess." Even though her words ended there as she drew her next card, I was able to tell that she was thinking that there was more to my less-than-great moves than bad draws. Honestly, I was quite conflicted about attacking as well. I knew that winning this duel would probably snap her out of whatever daze she was in, but I didn't want to see her lose her soul either.

And then again, if I lost because I couldn't bring myself to attack, she would most likely stay the way she was right now. But, I really couldn't stand seeing her in any type of pain, as it pulled at the few heartstrings I had left after all these years.

_What do I do…?_

**- Kayla: 7500 Life Points - Bakura: 7700 Life Points -**

"Alright then, I'll set a card facedown, and I'll also summon Armaill in defense mode while I'm at it. That's the end of my turn." I nodded while drawing my own card and set it with the other cards in my hand and turned to the field.

"Headless Knight, attack her Armaill." I knew that her life points wouldn't decrease due the monster being in defense mode, but I was relieved that she at least had one less monster. "And, I end my turn there."

"I draw!" She smirked at seeing the card, as if she'd suddenly gotten an idea for her next move. "First, I summon Armaill in attack mode. And next, I equip the card United We Stand to him - giving him eight hundred more attack and defense points!"

"And now, because you activated that spell, I activate Spell Absorption, allowing me to gain another five hundred life points whenever a spell is activated from now on!"

"Whatever, I'm still destroying your Headless Knight with my Armaill!" She smiled at seeing my monster turn into a mass of quickly fading pixels. "And then, I end my turn."

"Then I summon a monster in facedown defense position and set one card facedown." Once again, I saved my newly drawn card for later use, and I felt her gaze on me for a moment; I looked up. Her eyes, for a split second before she looked down to study the card she'd drawn, looked bright again.

**- Kayla: 7500 Life Points - Bakura: 8150 Life Points -**

"First, I'll activate my Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. And now, I summon Chain Thrasher, giving my Armaill another 800 attack and defense points due to United We Stand's effect. Next, I'll set one card facedown and attack your Wall of Illusion with my Armaill, destroying it!" She grinned, as if she knew that I didn't have a spell or trap to combat whatever she was going to do next. "And finally, I activate the trap Robbin' Goblin, which means you have to discard one card whenever I inflict battle damage to you."

I narrowed my eyes at the cards in my hand, quickly discarding the Headless Knight and sending it to my graveyard before looking at her expectantly, waiting to see if she had anything else to add to her turn.

"I'm finished for now. Your move." So, I drew a card and was instantly satisfied with what I saw. Admittedly, this wasn't the most useful card I could have gotten, but this was much better than what I'd been drawing recently.

"I summon Sangan in attack mode! And now, I'll send it to the graveyard in order to activate its effect, allowing me to select one monster with fifteen hundred attack points or less and add it to my hand." Quickly shuffling through my deck in order to find a monster that I thought could come in handy, I selected Man-Eater Bug and put it in my hand before shuffling my deck once again.

"Is that what you seemed to get so excited about? The ability of a Sangan? It's not as if that'll help much anyways." My movements stopped for a moment and my breathing hitched as I took in what she said. It wasn't really her words that were getting to me this time, it was the fact that she seemed to be able to read me so easily even though I was trying my hardest to my reactions.

"Whoever said I was excited at all?" I snapped, hoping that she'd give me some sort of explanation.

"Betrayal King…" I hoped she didn't notice me stiffen at her newfound nickname for me. "…You're so easy to read, even when you try to hide it! Think about it, I have been watching people my entire life; I know how to read them, even when they think they're doing a good job of hiding their feelings. And, despite your…situation, you're just the same as the rest."

I stayed silent, not sure how to respond. Was I really still as human as I'd used to be, even though I had lived for so much longer than the average person? Or was she simply observant enough to catch whatever hints I gave that revealed my true feelings despite my long life?

"Ah well, it's my turn." She drew a card and placed it in her hand. "First, I'll attack that facedown monster of yours with my Armaill!"

"That was a bad decision, as my facedown monster was a Kryuel."

"So what?"

"When Kryuel is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can flip a coin and call whether it's heads or tails. If I'm right, then I can destroy one of your monsters." As I explained my recently destroyed monster's effect to her, I dug the coin I had out of my pocket.

Hoping for the best, I flipped the coin and caught it, laying it on the back of my hand - covered with my other.

"What do you call?"

"Heads."

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

I wandered helplessly, staring at the open expanse of land before me. Sadly, I looked down at my hands, seeing them be partially see-through, so much so that I could only see a light outline of them. It was as if I was a ghost, and I really didn't like it.

I wasn't dead, I knew that. After I lost my duel with Marik, my soul had been stolen. So, was I just my soul right now?

I had to wonder where my body was. Marik probably still left it where I'd been; he had better things to do than lug my unresponsive, soulless body around. Although, I had to doubt whether he even could. Marik looked nice, but he didn't seem have too much muscle mass.

And thinking of Marik, I'd recently met someone who reminded me of him in this place. Wherever I was. However, we didn't get along very well. He sort of wandered around like I did, but all the other spirits - souls? - here seemed terrified of him. Although, I had to admit that there did seem to be something a tad off about this other Marik. His hair was completely different as well.

I sighed out of pure boredom and wondered whether I'd ever get back to my body; this place was lonely, and all the others here were very unfriendly. Even the most innocent-seeming ones glowered at everyone and anyone who crossed their path.

Suddenly, I heard talking, which was quite strange because no one here usually spoke. I knew we could - I'd tried - but no one did; I didn't know why, and, obviously, no one would tell me. Curious, I went towards the voices and recognized three of the five figures entering the valley.

They were an old man, a young girl, and a large dog. Commonly, in my monotonous days of simple wondering and wandering, I would see the three of them walking around. However, I'd never seen them actually come into this valley.

Meanwhile, I didn't recognize the teenage boy and girl who were with them; however, they did seem a bit familiar, as if they were someone who I should know but didn't and couldn't place the names of. Just as I was about to approach the five in hopes of getting some answers as to why I was here, one of the other souls - spirits? - here beat me to the punch.

And before I knew it, the teenage boy had been challenged to a duel by the spirit/soul who looked remarkably like him. Then I was able to associate the name with the teenager who was currently attempting to duel but looked extremely unsure about it.

"The…Pharaoh. I remember now; that's who Dartz was after. …I wonder if he knows anything about Kayla…"

No matter what, I'd have to wait until these two finished the duel to get any answers.

* * *

><p><strong>Bakura:<strong> ...The readers are going to kill you.

**Kayla:** Yeah, you don't update since what? March? And then you leave them with a cliffhanger. Real nice, AG.

**AGKamon:** I'm going to disregard the two of you criticizing me and instead get right away to thanking many, many people. Starting with the review replies.

_**VintageStardust -**_Nah, I think you're number 28. Haha, thanks for the compliments! And that's what I was aiming for, the calm before the storm, and to wrap up any loose ends after Tiikeri and Marik's duel. I'll try to keep being awesome!

_**Invader Ivy**_** -** Thanks, that's means a lot!

_**Kuraki-chan -**_Hello, Kuraki-chan, I believe you are reviewer number thirty. You don't get anything, but whoo! Thirty reviews! Anyway, nice, listening to Higurashi songs while reading this - that would definitely add some tension. And, thanks Virah~! I'm glad I got the tension down right, but I have to say I'm sorry for now updating for so long.

_**sassysisters9294 -**_Thanks for the compliments and sorry for taking so long! I'm glad I could inspire you.

_**Cady Malfoy (Neutral review 1) -**_Cady, this is way overdue. Both my update and you reading. Haha, yeah, Kayla's supposed to be a little off her rocker, and I'm glad you like the way I'm writing Bakura. Aspiring author? This is just a hobby, but okay!

_**Cady Malfoy (Neutral review 2) -**_*pats you on the back* I now deem you a Blackmailshipper, welcome to the small but hopefully growing club.

_**sorecess of the nile -**_I'm planning on writing the sequel to this, and it will take place in the Memory World Arc - which is what I call the Egyptian Arc. Thanks for the compliments!

**AGKamon:** And now, thanks to _**Aya Ayame**_, _**Invader Ivy**_, and _**sassysisters9294** _for adding this to their story alerts; to **_Ulyss_ **and _**sassysisters9294** _for adding this fic to their favorite stories; to _**sassysisters9294** _and **_Cady Malfoy_** for adding me to their author alerts and favorite authors; to _**Cady Malfoy**_ for adding Neutral to her story alerts; to _**Cady Malfoy**_ and _**Ulyss** _for adding Neutral to their favorite stories; and finally, to _**Minnyna** _for adding A Pyromaniac's Past to their favorite stories.

**Marik: **Great Winged Dragon of Ra, that was a lot of reviews and thank you's.

**Tiikeri:** Yeah.

**AGKamon:** Anyway, if you're wondering who Tiikeri was referring to as someone similar to Marik, she was talking about Dark Marik, because in the episode where the Pharaoh visits the valley she's in - he sees Dark Marik in addition to a bunch of others, including Yugi.

**Ryo:** We're really having about all the feedback this story is getting, so keep reading, reviewing, alerting, and putting stuff on your favorites lists - because we're very thankful about it.

**AGKamon:** And, I hope to have the next chapter up soon - as long as my writers' block doesn't strike again - so we'll see you next chapter!


	14. Two Single Hearts on Fire

**AGKamon:** So, since all of you awesome people waited so long for the last chapter, I thought I should update fairly quickly. Besides, I want to get as much written as possible in case my writers' block decides to strike back. Dear Ra, I hope it'll be gone for a while though. The chapter title also comes from a song - which I don't own - you get simple praise and the satisfaction of being right if you can guess what it is in your review. I'll reveal it next chapter.

**Bakura:** I doubt anyone wants to read about your writers' block. End this authoress note and get on with the chapter.

**Kayla:** ...You somehow seem moodier, Bakura. Is it because of the duel?

**Bakura:** Of course not.

**Marik:** It totally is! *laughs*

**Ryo:** Marik, I don't really think that's a good idea.

**Tiikeri:** *sighs* AGKamon doesn't own anything related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise; she only owns her OC's, Kayla Kossori and I.

**AGKamon:** *laughs nervously at seeing Bakura getting angry at Marik* Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

I revealed the coin to myself, showing that I had indeed guessed correctly.

"Well, what'd you get?" a feminine voice asked.

"Heads. Which means I can destroy one of your monsters, and I select your Armaill." Her expression twisted into an angry one as the relatively weak monster she had powered up was destroyed along with her equip card.

"I end my turn." Silently acknowledging that she seemed slightly frustrated and her playing style could possibly change because of that fact, I drew a card and set it with the other cards in my hand.

"First, I'll set one monster in facedown defense, and I'll also switch The Portrait's Secret to attack mode. Now, Portrait's Secret, attack her Chain Thrasher!" As her monster vanished, I noted her now-tensed form and suspected that she was getting more angry with me. "Your move, Kayla."

"Whoever said you could say my name, Betrayal King?" she growled as she drew a card. She huffed and placed it in her hand. "I'll end my turn without doing anything more."

"I've called you 'darling' before, would you rather I called you that?" I wondered, hoping to jog her memories of when I protected her, trying to see if I could snap her back into her senses; while I spoke, I drew my card. "I summon Night Assailant in defense mode and end my turn."

"Tch, no. Whatever, just don't get used to saying my name in such a casual tone, Betrayal King." She seemed slightly less angry as she stared at the card she'd just drawn. "I summon Darkfire Soldier #1 in attack mode. Now, Darkfire Soldier, attack The Portrait's Secret!"

As my monster disappeared in a mass of multicolored flecks, I frowned as my life point meter decreased and I remembered the effect of her continuous trap card. Due to her Robbin' Goblin card, I had to discard a card now, and I stared at my hand for a moment, trying to decide which card I could probably survive without. After a few seconds of thought, I sent my Mask of Darkness to the graveyard.

"Good, you remembered my trap's effect. I end my turn." With that, I drew my card next and tried to keep my frown from deepening, as this monster wouldn't help with defeating her monsters, at least not right away.

"I summon one monster facedown in defense mode and end my turn."

**- Kayla: 7500 Life Points - Bakura: 7650 Life Points -**

"It seems you're still getting bad draws, Betrayal King." The grip on my cards tightened to keep myself from making any other reaction to my new nickname.

"That seems to be true," I retorted.

"Such a shame, and I thought you were going to start making a comeback when you destroyed my Armaill." Suddenly, she stopped, looking past me intently. Already wary of anything she was doing, I looked over my shoulder cautiously, not seeing anything but…

_Wait._

What _was _that?

Racing towards us at what was probably the average running speed for a human, a pitch-black shape came into my view. It frequently switched from racing along the floor to the wall and then back again. For a reason I couldn't place, I suddenly felt as if another ancient presence was nearing me. However, it couldn't be this mysterious shadow-like thing.

_Could it?_

My brain's thoughts about this shadowy creature were ceased when my ears registered the sound of laughter. Her laughter, and I turned back to my opponent, seeing the glowing shape on her forehead grow brighter as an almost red glow shone from her dark eyes.

"This is getting fun now, Betrayal King!"

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, still watching the shadow creature as it continued to move towards us.

"You'll see in due time, but it's my turn now!" She drew her card, not even sparing it a second glance before she placed it with the other cards in her hand. "Darkfire Soldier #1, destroy his Night Assailant! And now, because of Robbin' Goblin, you have to discard the last card in your hand." I was silent, not daring to say anything as I knew she'd twist around my words, as I discarded the final card in my hand.

"Are you finished?" I asked, hoping that my next draw would have things looking up for me, even though I still wasn't looking forward to defeating her and having her lose her soul.

"Yes, you can take your turn." I drew my next card, revealing a monster. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it could defend me for now. However, I now had some sort of plan for my turn as I remembered one of the facedown cards I had placed earlier in the duel.

"I summon The Portrait's Secret in defense mode. And next, I activate one of my facedown cards, The Shallow Grave! This allows the two of us to summon a monster in our graveyards to the field in facedown defense mode." As I explained the effect of my spell card, I selected my Night Assailant monster card and placed it facedown - she selected a monster and summoned it facedown as well - and then sent The Shallow Grave to the graveyard. "My turn is done."

As she drew her card, I noticed the black moving shadow race past me. She smirked as she looked at the card and saw the shadow again, and I got a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I summon Command Knight in attack mode, and due to his effect, all Warrior-type monsters on my side of the field gain four hundred more attack points as long as he's on the field, giving my Darkfire Soldier #1 a total of 2100 attack points. Next, I flip my facedown monster right-side up, revealing my Dancing Fairy. And, since she's in face-up defense mode, from now on, I gain one thousand life points during each of my Standby Phases." The horrible feeling I was getting only grew worst at realizing she wasn't even done with her turn yet. "Now, before I end my turn, I'll destroy The Portrait's Secret with Darkfire Soldier #1!"

So, knowing that her turn was done and over with, I drew my next card and hoped for the best. I stared at my newly drawn card, quickly realizing that I could use it now and destroy a card that had been bothering me pretty much since the beginning of the duel.

"I activate the spell Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy one of your spell or traps, and I choose Robbin' Goblin! I also gain another five hundred life points from Spell Absorption." I relaxed slightly at seeing my life point meter rise again, giving me more points than my opponent.

"Is it my turn now?"

"Yes."

**- Kayla: 7500 Life Points - Bakura: 8150 Life Points -**

She nodded, obviously confident about something, and drew her card.

"Alright, first I gain one thousand life points due to Dancing Fairy's effect, and next, I'll attack your facedown monster with Darkfire Soldier #1!" And as soon as my facedown monster disappeared, so did her Darkfire Soldier. "…What?"

"My facedown monster was Man-Eater Bug, meaning that when he's destroyed while facedown, the attacking monster is destroyed as well."

"Whatever, I can still destroy your other facedown with Command Knight!"

"And this time, the effect of my Slate Warrior activates when it's destroyed in battle. Command Knight loses five hundred attack and defense points."

"…I end my turn." I briefly noticed her sudden attitude change once again and noted that she tended to get quite frustrated whenever I countered one of her moves. Wondering whether she was always like this when she dueled or if it was simply because of whatever daze she was under, I drew my card.

"I activate the spell Goblin Thief, giving me another five hundred life points while you lose five hundred. Also, I gain an additional five hundred life points because of Spell Absorption's effect."

"Hmph, simply because you keep restoring your life points, doesn't mean you'll win."

_I know that, but there's nothing else I can do, for now…_

"I end my turn."

**- Kayla: 8000 Life Points - Bakura: 9150 Life Points -**

"Alright, I summon Armaill in attack mode, and it gains four hundred more attack points due to Command Knight's effect. And, of course, I gain another thousand life points because of Dancing Fairy." She chuckled a bit, as if mocking how I was forced to keep using spells in order to restore my life points when she was doing so without using a single card because of her monster's effect. "Now, Armaill, attack his facedown card!"

"Because my facedown monster was Night Assailant, your Armaill is destroyed too."

"That doesn't bother me at all. You want to know why? Command Knight, show him why!" Unable to avoid flinching at the unsettlingly real impact of the monster's attack, I watched as my life points decreased once again. "It's your move, make it worthwhile."

Disregarding her not-so-thinly-veiled threat, I drew my card. It was, for now, useless. Sure, I could use Monster Reincarnation eventually, but it couldn't help me right now, and that's when I needed help.

"I set one card facedown and end my turn."

**- Kayla: 9000 Life Points - Bakura: 8450 Life Points -**

Smiling at the obvious lead she now had on me in terms of both life points and monsters on the field, she drew her card while watching that still-present shadow circle the duel field.

"I summon Chain Thrasher in attack mode, and I also switch my Fire Sorcerer to attack mode. Of course, I gain one thousand life points thanks to Dancing Fairy." The feeling in the pit of my stomach was rapidly spreading to the rest of my body as my mind quickly realized why she'd bothered to switch the mode of her Fire Sorcerer and summon another monster.

_This isn't going to turn out very well…_

"Fire Sorcerer attack him directly, and Chain Thrasher, do the same! Also, because there is already a Chain Thrasher in my graveyard, this Chain Thrasher can attack again! And, for good measure, I'll also attack with my Command Knight! With that, I end my turn."

Feeling the stress from the duel catch up with me, I hoped that I could find a way to turn this duel around quickly. With those hopes fueling my draw, I selected the top card of my deck and drew it, feeling my hopes shatter instantly. This card, it couldn't help me at all.

"I set this card facedown and end my turn." Nonetheless, I set the spell card on the field anyway.

"You know, Betrayal King, with the way you reacted, I have to think that you didn't get a very useful card. On my next turn, I could win, I do hope you're aware of that."

_But there isn't anything I can do to stop that…_

**- Kayla: 10,000 Life Points - Bakura: 4750 Life Points -**

"I have to say that I was hoping you'd put up a better fight than this, since you don't really care, I was _sure_ that you'd duel like you normally do. It's like you're holding back, but I can't imagine why."

"I _do_ care. I don't understand where you could get the idea that I _didn't_ care about you, Kayla. I've cared for what seems like a long time now."

"Hah! Like I'm going to believe that; it's my turn. I'll finally beat you into the dust like you deserve after _abandoning_ me." As she drew her card and glanced at her hand shortly afterwards, her expression grew into a mixture of anger and some kind twisted form of delight.

_Am I really going to lose…? After trying so hard to bring her back to her senses?_

"I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky in attack mode and gain one thousand life points because of Dancing Fairy's effect. Now, Absorbing Kid from the Sky and Fire Sorcerer, attack him directly! Also, Chain Thrasher can attack you twice due to her effect!"

_Just one more attack. That's all it will take…_

"Now, Command Knight-!" And suddenly, she stopped mid-sentence, and I looked at her, instantly recognizing the shine in her eyes.

"…Kayla…?"

"Bakura? …Why…am I doing this?"

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

With Tiikeri's voice still ringing in my eyes and her eyes still in the back of my mind, I continued to follow Ryo through this building's vast expanse of hallways.

"Do you think…we're almost there…?" he panted, having a hard time breathing due to all the sprinting we'd been doing in trying to keep up with that shadow we were sure was going to lead us to where Bakura was dueling Kayla.

"…Don't know…" I replied, having an equally hard time filling my lungs with air. Almost as soon as I'd spoken, I spotted a head of white hair that certainly didn't belong to Ryo, who was beginning to lag behind me. Besides, this figure's hair was too wild-looking. "…I think…that's him…!"

"Yeah…me too…" We slowed our steps despite our want to support the ancient spirit we now considered to be like a friend to us; simply put, we just couldn't continue running.

"Baku-!" I was in the middle of calling out his name when suddenly, it was as if a wall of black material rose up between us and him, and I instantly suspected that weird shadow - whatever it was - was to blame.

"Should we wait?" Ryo wondered, still sounding a bit out of breath.

"Y-Yeah. Somehow I doubt this black shadow wants us getting near that duel." And thus, we settled ourselves on the floor, our backs against the wall, and kept our eyes on newly-formed black wall. We were waiting for it to lower itself back down to the ground so we could pass, as I had a strange instinct that as soon as the duel was done, we'd be let in.

All we had to do was wait.

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> Don't get your hopes up because the duel isn't over yet!

**Bakura:** Tch, just reply to the reviews already.

**AGKamon:** Alright, alright...

_**sorecess of the nile -**_Thanks, I'm glad that the quality of the chapters didn't go down because I haven't written for these characters in what? Three months? Yeah, that sounds right. Writers' block is really frustrating for me because it tends to last a long time, which stinks because I don't like keeping my readers waiting.

_**Kuraki-chan -**_Haha, I can't help it when writers' block strikes, but thanks! Was I able to make this chapter just as great too? I'm hoping that my writers' block is gone for a while now, but it'll probably come back. However, hopefully it'll be blocking a different story because I have so many plans for this little series of mine.

**AGKamon:** Anyway, the duel will go into the next chapter as well, and you can place your bets who you think will win in a review if you would like, but it's already been decided.

**Kayla:** So, there isn't much else to say, so thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Ryo:** Yeah, and you should keep doing so! ...Are you okay, Marik?

**Marik:** *nursing his new black eye* ...Yup. Read, review, and we hope you enjoyed the chapter! The next one should hopefully be up, real soon.


	15. The Loss of a Soul and Pain of a Heart

**AGKamon:** In advance, I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I really wanted to end it where I did, and I thought the aftermath and end of the duel should have its own chapter.

**Bakura:** ...

**Kayla:** You okay, Bakura? You seem quiet.

**Marik:** He's just upset because of-

**Tiikeri:** *blocks Marik's mouth* Shut up, idiot, and stop spoiling the chapter.

**Ryo:** *sighs* I'll do the disclaimer. AGKamon18 doesn't own anything related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, only her OC's, Tiikeri Toroso and Kayla Kossori.

**Marik:** *breaks free of Tiikeri's grip* Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

Bakura's brown eyes were unexpectedly wide and bore into mine, awaiting my next movement, as if he thought I'd disappear if he even breathed.

"Tell me…what am I doing here…?" I wondered, looking at the cards in my hand as if they were foreign to me. I could only faintly remember picking them out, and that seemed so long ago. I looked up from the cards and to Bakura again.

Why was I dueling him?

"…You…don't remember…?" he asked quietly, sounding completely lost and confused as well.

"…I only remember a voice…a dark voice…" I thought over everything again, not remembering ever wanting to duel him. "…Nothing else…"

What had Dartz told me about these duels?

* * *

><p>"…<em>Also, the loser of the duel will have his or her soul taken."<em>

* * *

><p>I sucked in a breath of air as the few pieces of information I had clicked together, and my cards fluttered to the floor.<p>

"I…I _don't_ want to…do _that_…" I muttered, trying desperately to recall how to forfeit a duel. Bakura couldn't lose; he'd lose his soul, and I didn't want that to happen to him after all he'd done for me. "I'll…be alone…_again_…right…?"

"Kayla, what are you doing?" he questioned warily. I looked down at my hand and remembered; I rested my hand a few inches above my deck and breathed in.

"I can't have you sacrifice anything more for me, Bakura, so I…" Suddenly, it was as if my ability to speak was taken away, like I was being suffocated. "I…" I could barely choke out a single syllable, and then I suddenly heard that undeniably dark voice again.

"_**I can't have you giving up before I take the thief king's soul…"**_

* * *

><p><span>Bakura's P.O.V.<span>

The shadow - that one who'd been circling the duel field for who-knows-how-long by now - suddenly stopped, backpedaling until it was right behind her. Before I could even say a word, the shadow rose from the floor, gaining a physical form that resembled some sort of dragon, almost reminding me of Slifer the Sky Dragon, except much smaller.

Her voice almost seemed to be choked out as the 'dragon's' hand reached out, wrapping its claws slowly around her neck as she stood statue-still. As suddenly as it had happened, the 'dragon' melted away, into her shadow, and her pupils abruptly took on a reddish glow.

"Now that that's all taken care of, let's finish this duel. Shall we?" That wasn't her voice; it didn't sound like her, not in the least. It was much deeper, almost darker and harsher, and it reminded me of the voice difference that occurred when I used to take control of Ryo's body.

"What happened to Kayla?"

"Now, now, that would spoil all the fun of this duel!" She laughed as she leaned down to gather the cards that had been dropped only moments before, not even bothering to sort them out and not caring that I could see quite a few of them. Then again, she had no reason to care, as she could already win easily.

"But…!"

"Anyways, this has been quite entertaining, Thief King, but I have another errand to take care of." A chill ran down my spine at realizing she _never _called me directly by my former title. "Now, Command Knight, finish this duel!"

And then, everything seemed to flow by in slow motion. I didn't even feel the sword of her monster clash with my Duel Disk as my life point counter dropped.

**- Kayla: 11,000 Life Points - Bakura: 0 Life Points -**

Zero life points meant that I lost.

The reddish tint to her eyes dissipated as those utterly beautiful dark-blue orbs widened, and she dropped her cards once more. Unclipping her Duel Disk, it clattered to the floor as well, and the outline of the Orichalcos that I hadn't even noticed on the floor shrunk until it surrounded me and only me.

Strangely enough, I felt myself falling to my knees; I couldn't even find the strength to stand on my own two feet anymore. However, looking up at her and seeing her eyes shine the way they always should, I couldn't bring myself to feel upset about whatever my fate would be. She was alright; she was okay, and that was all that really mattered to me right now.

I'd find a way back to her because I _always did_ and _always would._

"Bakura…please don't leave again…" she pleaded, kneeling beside me, and I could tell that she was holding back tears.

"I'll always come back, darling, but I have to go for now…" I replied, only speaking loud enough that she could hear. Drops of salty liquid welled up in the eyes of the girl that I never wanted to see cry; I only wanted to see her smiles.

"…What have I done…?" Finding it difficult to breathe all of a sudden, I gave her a soft smile, trying my hardest to say that I didn't - and never would - blame her for this.

And then, my vision faltered and turned black.

"_Bakura…!"_

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

Just as swiftly as it had appeared, the black wall that had formed as our obstacle vanished, revealing the one sight we hadn't wanted to see.

With her head hung and bangs covering her face, we spotted Kayla's form; however, directly in front of her was a collapsed figure with a hair of wildly-styled white hair. Her shoulders trembled as she shook him almost frantically, and my fears confirmed themselves when he didn't make a single movement; he didn't even seem to be breathing.

We spurred into action when she buried her face in her gloved hands, and the severity of her shoulders' shaking multiplied by three. That's when the sound of sobs hit my ears, and I turned to Ryo, whose eyes widened at hearing the noise.

Faster than I could blink, he took off running in her direction, and I followed, trusting his judgment of the situation better than my own.

"Kayla, what happened?" he asked gently, and she jumped when he spoke. She didn't answer, and while he attempted again to get her to speak, I looked down at Bakura. His eyes were closed, and - surprisingly enough - there was a soft smile lingering on his face. It reminded me of my former opponent, who'd seemed so calm in the face of her fate.

* * *

><p>"<em>When you find Kayla, tell her that I forgive her for what she said to me…"<em>

* * *

><p>"Kayla, listen to me for a second and stop crying. We all know that Bakura didn't like seeing you upset, so cut it out," I scolded, noting how harsh I sounded but knowing that she needed to hear it.<p>

"…I'll…try…" she muttered, finally taking her hands away from her face in favor of using them to wipe away her tears. Glancing up at me, she waited for me to speak again.

"Tiikeri told me to give you a message. Whatever you said to her, she forgives you for it." At hearing my words, she rubbed at her eyes, obviously attempting to stop another round of sobs; her other hand traveled down and grabbed Bakura's limp one, squeezing it desperately in search of comfort.

"W-where…is she…?" Kayla questioned quietly.

"…Do you want me to get her?"

"Please do." Convinced enough at hearing her say 'please,' as she wasn't the type of girl to act mannerly, I nodded and headed off in the direction Ryo and I had come in.

* * *

><p>"<em>Go, Marik. I know you'll come back, you always do. Good luck."<em>

* * *

><p>I smiled in spite of the current situation; I didn't have to break the trust she'd chosen to put in me.<p>

"I'm coming back for you…"

* * *

><p><span>The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.<span>

I watched silently from where I was, not believing Bakura's previous behavior. He was so gentle around this girl, and - had I not just witnessed it - I wouldn't have believed it was really him who'd just recently lost that duel.

And thinking of the duel, I recalled that strange shadow-like creature and how it'd reacted when she was going to surrender the duel. It was almost as if it couldn't act on the plans it had without a human to do its bidding, but it'd been intent on getting her to continue dueling.

Maybe it needed Bakura for something…?

_What did Tiikeri say the cost of these duels were?_

Ah! The loser's soul was…_stolen_, was what she had told me. I wasn't sure what she had meant by stolen, but I quickly came to the conclusion that this creature wanted Bakura's soul. Or, more specifically, the Thief King's soul. His soul, in addition to a few others, were exceptionally powerful, and, though I didn't know what the creature was planning, I knew that the outcome couldn't be good.

Rising to my feet, I noted that my heeled shoes were actually solid as I made my way across the tiled floor and heard the subtle clicks of them hitting the floor. The sound instantly brought the attention of the girl and boy who were kneeling beside Bakura's soulless body, and I kneeled down along with them and smiled softly.

"He's told me a lot about you, Kayla…" I stated, reaching out to pat the smaller girl on the shoulder. She looked up at me warily, peering out from behind her bangs as if they were a curtain to hide her away in her sadness.

"…R-really…?" she mumbled, blinking in a manner that I took as a mixture of confusion and slight embarrassment. I nodded.

"Mhm. I'm sure you've already gathered this, but he really cares about you, and it's unlike the care he's shown anyone in thousands of years. It's quite probable that he hasn't cared about anyone with even a similar amount of worry since his own parents," I explained, almost glad he wasn't awake to stop me from talking.

"Thousands…" she breathed out the word as she considered my wording. "…Who are you?"

"I…am the Winged Dragon of Ra." I smiled and held my hand out to her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Kayla." She looked stunned for a moment before she shook my hand slowly, still obviously trying to absorb the concept. "Anyways, now that the introductions are over with, do you have any idea who's pulling the strings here?"

"A-Ah, if you're talking about the man who convinced Tiikeri and I to join this group, that's Dartz. However…if you mean the shadowy dragon-like creature, it calls itself The Great Leviathan…" she replied softly, trailing off as she considered something. She squeezed Bakura's unresponsive hand before resting his hand on his chest and letting go of it completely.

"…Kayla…what are you thinking?" Ryo asked worriedly as she rose to her feet, dabbing at her eyes to make sure they were dry.

"…Take Bakura and Tiikeri somewhere safe, okay? …I need to have a word with Dartz…" she answered, her voice suddenly sounding colder and yet much more determined.

"Kay-!" Ryo began, but I held up a hand, and he stopped speaking for a moment, long enough for me to interrupt him.

"Kayla, I ask that you be careful." I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she walked away quickly, as if she knew she'd never leave if she didn't get away from Bakura's side quick enough. "And also, I know you probably won't be fond of the idea, but the Pharaoh wouldn't be against helping you."

"Any grudges I have I'm temporarily putting aside. Do you know where to find him?"

"Currently, he's riding on a train to take him to an airport a few miles outside of San Francisco. We're actually not that far away, and if you hurry, you can probably catch up to him."

"Thanks, Ra, take care of everyone while I'm gone."

"I will."

And with that, the conversation was ended and she was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> And now Kayla's out for revenge. This should end well.

**Bakura:** Reviews.

**AGKamon:** Right.

_**Kuraki-chan -**_I like cliffhangers and making all of you worry for the characters' safety, what can I say? But, was this quick enough for you? Awesome! I can't wait to see new chapters of everything, especially of _What You Want_. You have no idea how excited I am to see that continued. I'm excited for your other fics too of course, and I hope this ending doesn't drive as crazy as the last one did!

_**VintageStardust -**_Vintage~ it's nice to hear from you again! Sorry about that, writers' block is a horrible condition, but my friend thinks she found a cure, so I'll try that out next time I get it. Haha, she's remembering, but this duel didn't end very well, did it? And you lost a bet; I'll be taking your metaphorical money now to buy metaphorical anime merchandise. Thanks; I'm so glad to hear that such a long absence hasn't affected my duel-writing and that everyone seems to like Kayla so much! I'll try not too, hopefully this writers' block cure my friend came up with works. And no, the review's fine. Hugs from the Northeast because I'm too paranoid to tell you what state I live in! And, I know you as either Vintage or chevron.

_**sorcecess of the nile -**_You have no idea how glad I am to see that writers' block gone; it was one of the worst cases I've had. (Marik: Gee thanks. *holds ice pack to face*) Bakura would be good with violence because he's Bakura, and I bet he would need those kind of skills for the life he used to lead in Ancient Egypt.

**AGKamon:** Thanks for reviewing you guys, and I'm shocked that this fic's already almost to forty reviews. Whoo! And the song that the last chapter's title was from was 'Bruises and Bitemarks' by Good With Grenades. 'Cause I love that song for some weird reason.

**Marik:** And in other news...AGKamon graduated.

**Kayla:** ...From middle school.

**AGKamon:** Haha, that may surprise some of you, but I just left middle school this year. And that means I'm on summer vacation, so I'll try to update pretty often since I'll probably have trouble keeping up with high school for a while.

**Tiikeri:** Anyways, thanks for the reviews and keep reviewing and reading.

**Ryo:** See you all next chapter!


	16. Talking About the Truth

**AGKamon:** So, I had the first part - Kayla's point of view - written for a while, but I wasn't sure what to write afterwards, and that's what took me so long. But, it's here now~

**Kayla:** I'm just glad I'm not running around all angry at Bakura anymore.

**Bakura:** *skims over chapter* Ugh, you wrote in the Pharaoh's point of view again.

**Marik:** No way, really? *looks over Bakura's shoulder* Oh, you're right.

**Tiikeri:** What's so bad about this guy? I don't get it.

**AGKamon:** Anyway, Ryo?

**Ryo:** Alright. AGKamon18 doesn't own anything related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. She only owns her OC's, Kayla Kossori and Tiikeri Toroso.

**AGKamon:** Start the chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

I clenched my fists tightly, trying to recall the location of the garage where my motorcycle was kept, along with the bikes belonging to the other Doma members. Because it had been given to me by Dartz - I knew that even with fragments of my memory of recent events being missing - I really didn't want to touch the machine, but it was the quickest method of transportation I had. I had to tough it out for now.

For Bakura.

"Come on, I can't be tearing up now," I grumbled to myself, frowning as I dabbed at my eyes for what seemed to be the tenth time since Bakura lost his soul. "I thought I was done crying."

Nonetheless, I trudged on in the direction that I suspected was correct, trying to push all subjects of thought that could cause more sadness out of my mind for the time being. I needed to focus on finding that idiotic Pharaoh, getting his cooperation, and then finding Dartz and The Great Leviathan.

_I have to be strong._

I mentally chanted the statement in my head as I proceeded on my trek through this labyrinth called headquarters - _my former headquarters and home _- and I was briefly driven to question why Dartz had even built this many hallways; there weren't _that_ many members in Doma. However, I quickly shoved the distracting train of thought away from my thinking and continued repeating my mental mantra.

"Finally." I let out a sigh of relief at seeing the door-less doorway, and I could spot the motorcycle that I would surely sell after this whole incident was over through the opening. As I passed by it, I grabbed my helmet and pulled it down over my head, mounting the bike soon afterwards.

And then I set off, ready to face whatever was waiting for me.

* * *

><p><span>Tiikeri's P.O.V.<span>

A sigh of relief left my lips at seeing the duel between the Pharaoh and that…_thing _end. As soon as he'd finished his duel with the short boy who looked like his twin, a strange creature had appeared in valley and somehow got the Pharaoh into _another _duel.

Obviously, I still hadn't gotten the chance to converse with him, but now was my chance.

"Hey!" Even though I felt as though I was straining my throat and lungs by shouting - probably due to not talking very loudly for a long time - the sound still failed to catch the attention of the ancient spirit with tri-colored hair. Realizing that he wasn't going to acknowledge me, I rushed up to him, grabbing his shoulder.

He stopped, as if he _had_ felt _something_, but continued walking a second later.

"What am I, a ghost? I'm trying to get your attention here!" I called, walking in front of the ancient Egyptian and waving my translucent hand in front of his face.

"Who are you?" I sighed again, but at least I had this guy's attention now.

"I need to speak with you, Pharaoh," I stated simply, crossing my arms over my chest. For a moment, he looked surprised at me using his title, but then his expression turned to one of suspicion.

"How do you-?"

"I _used _to work for Dartz, but I quickly realized what he was trying to do and was attempting to find something to stop him with before I was coerced into a duel and lost. Now, I need to know if you've seen Kayla recently."

"No, I haven't. If anything, you've probably had more contact with her than I have," he replied, turning to face me completely, now knowing that I wasn't simply trying to bother him. "Why do you ask?"

"It's exceedingly complicated, and I honestly doubt you want to hear all of it, but some weird spirit…thing called The Great Leviathan has pretty much taken her over, and she's not herself. Last I knew, she was extremely eager to defeat Bakura in a duel." I paused, running over the details in my head. "However, I don't know if she's actually found him or not. I was hoping you'd heard something."

"Bakura, Ryo, and Marik separated from my friends and I quite a while ago, and we haven't seen or heard from them since." Suddenly, the sound of an annoyingly loud tune interrupted our conversation, and the brown-haired girl who'd been with the Pharaoh jumped, instantly searching through the small bag she was carrying.

"Hm, Ryo _never _calls me…" she muttered before answering it. "Hello?"

_I wonder why Ryo would be calling her. Did something happen…?_

"No, we haven't seen…Kayla, was it? Yeah, we haven't. What about her?" The teenage girl paused, listening intently to the male on the other end, and her eyes slowly widened. "Wh-what? Are you sure?" Another pause. "And she's looking for…? …Okay, I think I understand; she wants the Pharaoh's help, right? …Alright, I'll be sure to let you know when we see her. Take care of everything over there, okay? Yeah, alright then, bye."

"What did Ryo want?" the five-thousand-year-old spirit asked slowly, as if he were attempted to piece together the information on his own.

"Well, as it turns out, Bakura was defeated in a duel by Kayla - whose name I must admit sounds _very _familiar - but anyway, she's come to her senses, whatever _that _means, and is looking for Dartz and this thing called The Great Leviathan for either revenge or some sort of answers." She halted in her explanation to consider something. "Possibly both. And, she's looking for you, Pharaoh, because she wants your help." I felt a large amount of my worries lift from my shoulder, making my heart feel much less heavy in that I was unable to help her; she wasn't acting strange anymore, and that had been my goal, to get her back to normal.

"That's good to hear - not Bakura's defeat, no - but I'm glad Kayla's acting rationally again. Also, you should know, the building Kayla and I were staying at isn't too far from here, so you'll probably run into her soon enough." I smiled, truly relieved at knowing Kayla wasn't still running around under The Great Leviathan's influence. "Tell her I'm alright, okay?"

"Sure, but, who are you?"

"You can call me Tiikeri, Pharaoh." I turned away from him and his friend and made my way back into the valley, searching for something.

"Thank you for the information!" I could barely hear the shout from the tri-colored male, but I acknowledged it and realized that he wasn't really as bad as Kayla had made him out to be. He seemed to be a real do-gooder, and that, combined with him not helping her during Battle City, is probably why she doesn't like him so much.

I quickly shook the train of thought out of my head, as I now had better things to consider. That girl had said that Bakura lost the duel between him and Kayla, and I know that she would have used The Seal of Orichalcos, meaning that his soul is either here or will be soon enough.

"_Well, well, _I never thought I'd see _you _here." My eyes perked up at hearing the voice, as the tone and overall sound reminded me of Marik, but at the same time, it was immensely different.

"I could say the same for you, but I'm really not in the mood for your games." That voice sounded familiar as well, and I quickly recalled hearing it from one of the white-haired young men Marik had been with. And obviously, because Ryo had been talking on the phone with that girl just moments earlier…

_That must be Bakura._

I turned towards where the voices came from and continued in that direction; after all this time of hearing about him, I really wanted to see what he was like. Whether he was a decent person like Marik had implied or an absolute jerk like Kayla had told me.

And, I honestly wanted to see if I could befriend him because he was close to Kayla, and I liked to think that she and I were also close. It only made sense that I should try talking to him.

"Are you Bakura?" I questioned once I'd gotten close enough that I knew he'd hear me. Breaking off the obvious glaring contest he was having with the Marik-look-alike, the white-haired young man looked over his shoulder at me, narrowing his eyes soon afterwards.

"That would depend on who you are, seeing as I've never seen you before," he replied, sticking his hands in the pockets in his black jacket.

"I'm a friend of Kayla's, call me Tiikeri." I could see a change in his demeanor when I mentioned her name. "Let's just say that my duel against Marik didn't go very well for me." Ending my statement with a slight shrug of my shoulders, I waited for him to respond.

"Alright, then I'm the Bakura you're looking for, what do you want?" As he spoke, he walked past me, motioning with a nod of his head that he wanted me to follow him. Sparing a glance at the man who reminded me of my former duel opponent, I trailed after the thief.

"Is it true? That Kayla's back to her old self?" I asked, truly wanting to hear it from the most reliable source available. He nodded slowly, off-white bangs falling in front of his eyes as he frowned deeply.

"Yeah, though I despise that I've put her through so much trouble…" His shoulders drooped as I gave him a confused glance, wondering what he was getting at. He obviously noticed the look I was giving him, as he spoke up again. "Dark Marik _never _would have spared her a second glance if she hadn't been so close to Marik and I, she went through a period of some sort of depression because _I_ left her alone for a full year, and she joined that organization because she felt so _lonely _and _vulnerable_. I can't help but think that there's _something _I should have done to stop that from happening; she's been through enough."

"But…you helped her return to the way she used to be…" I reminded him, mentally questioning why he was telling me all this.

"That may be true, but, in having to leave again, I made her cry. There's nothing that bothers me more than seeing her upset."

"Why are you telling _me_ this? We just met."

"It's strange, but you have a trustworthy sort of air to you - if that makes any sense - besides, one of my companions trusts you. You must have done something to earn that trust."

"From what I've heard, Kayla really _has _changed you, hasn't she?" I watched him nod again, his frown lessening.

"You could certainly say that." He paused, and for a moment, I thought I heard him chuckle lightly. "She fascinated me, at first, and she simply continued to grab my attention after our first meeting. I still don't understand what drew me to her, but I'm not questioning it."

"…That reminds me of myself…" I mused quietly.

"How do you figure?" he inquired in response. Humming as I attempted to sort my thoughts out and tried to figure out how to word my reply, I fingered a stray thread on my jacket.

"Well, when I first encountered Marik - I still don't know how he ended up in my head - I found him to be undeniably interesting."

"…I hate to burst your bubble, but that wasn't Marik in your mind." His tone suddenly turned slightly harsh, as if getting whatever truth he had to tell through my brain would be difficult, and I halted in mid-step, staring at him while awaiting an explanation. Sighing, he turned to face me, hands still in his pockets. "In an attempt to befriend you and get information, the Winged Dragon of Ra took on Marik's identity and entered your dreams; she only informed Marik, Ryo, and I of this after the two of you had been in contact for a decent amount of time."

"…_Excuse me?"_

"The Winged Dragon of Ra is an Egyptian God and-"

"No, no, no, I understand that part, but how do you expect me to believe something like _that_?"

"Marik's nothing more than a teenager from Egypt; he doesn't have the capabilities to enter someone's mind. At least not now. If anything, over a year ago - when he was in possession of the Millennium Rod - he could have _controlled_ your mind, but he's never had the ability to enter and communicate with someone through their dreams." Eyes blinking as I tried to absorb the information he was giving me, I suddenly felt something that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Not since I had first discovered that my family would attempt killing me.

Betrayal, is what I believed would be the equivalent to the feeling that was coursing through my veins.

"Why did you feel the need to tell me that?" I questioned, shocked at hearing the anger in my tone. He sighed, hunching his shoulders a bit in a deformed shrug.

"You were going to find out sooner or later, as Marik had never met you formally before the duel between the two of you; he would have told you eventually." He stopped momentarily, staring up at the cloudy sky with a hazy look in his eyes. "It's better to know the truth about such things earlier on than later; it'll only cause pain if it's put off."

"If that's true, then why haven't informed Kayla of your _obvious _feelings for her?" I retorted.

"Between all that happened in Battle City, me having to meet with the Egyptian Gods, and what's happening now, there was never a chance. Telling her something like that would have only caused more problems for everyone involved, especially her." I, seeing the logic in him telling me about who the Marik in my head really was, felt the feeling of betrayal quickly fade away.

"Oh, really?"

"Mhm, as far as I can tell, she's never dealt with romantic feelings before - not that I have much more experience in emotions - and she would have been completely confused if I'd confessed anything to her in the midst of all the chaos."

"I see. Do you think you'll say anything after this is all over?"

"Once I get this soul of mine back in my body, definitely. After all, if nothing else drastic happens for a while, there _should_ be a time of peace when this entire incident is over; she'll be able to sort out anything she needs to, I hope."

"You hope?"

"…That's right. Despite how confident I am, the thought of her rejecting me _is _quite unsettling." I smiled at hearing him say such a thing.

"I doubt she will. Beneath all the anger that she had towards you when I met her, Kayla _does _care about you."

"It's good to hear that."

"You know, I don't know why you chose to talk to me of all people, but it's good that you could get all this off your chest. It's obviously been bothering you."

"…Hm." He nodded silently, confirming my observation, but didn't say anything more, and I was left to my thoughts.

_Then…if that wasn't Marik I'd been talking with for all this time, what am supposed to do…?_

* * *

><p><span>Yami's P.O.V.<span>

Téa and I slowly made our way up the slope that would take us back to the train tracks. While we did so, I considered the fact that _she _was coming to _me_ for assistance.

As far as I knew, she despised me.

Not that I could blame her now, I'd most likely be a tad resentful as well if I was in her position.

"Pharaoh!" I jerked my head up - as I'd been watching the ground as I walked - at hearing the voice. Picking up the pace, I made it to the top of the slope and looked across the train tracks, past the wreckage from our portion of the train crashing. I soon laid my eyes on a girl atop a dark-colored motorcycle. A helmet concealed most of her face, but I recognized the blue hair blowing in the breeze.

Aware that Téa was following close behind me, I took my time climbing over the rubble in order to speak with her.

"We heard from Ryo that you were looking for me," I stated bluntly, knowing that dancing around the main point of conversation would get no one anywhere. "We also know what happened to Bakura."

"Then this conversation will be quick. All my personal grudges are being pushed aside for the time being, meaning that, for now, you are nothing more or less than an acquaintance to me." She pulled the helmet off her head, shaking her hair free. "I'm looking for your cooperation in going after not only Dartz, but also The Great Leviathan."

"Currently, I don't have any idea what this 'Great Leviathan' that I keep hearing about is, but I'll agree to assisting you."

"Good. And I'm sure you're already aware of this, but Dartz left for Florida quite a while ago. That's where we'll be heading, and I'm going with you; so, is there anything you have to wait for?"

"Yes, two of our friends were separated from us; I'm not leaving them behind, if you don't mind."

"I'm a bit insane, but I'm not a cruel person, Pharaoh. Go ahead and wait for your buddies; I'll head to the airport first and all of you can meet me there. See you then." With that, she pulled the helmet colored in a dark shade of blue back over her head, the tinted visor concealing her eyes from view, and gave Téa and I a small wave.

"Oh, wait!" I called, and she took her hands away from the handlebars, staring at me in confusion, awaiting what I had to tell her.

"Yes?"

"I spoke with Tiikeri; she wanted me to inform you that she's alright." I could see her shoulders slack with what I interpreted to be relief.

"That's really good news, and I have to thank you for relaying her message, Pharaoh." She shot me a small smile before revving the engine on her motorcycle and taking off.

Watching the direction she was going intently for later reference, so I'd know which way the airport was in when we met up with Joey and Tristan, I turned back to my blue-eyed friend.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find Joey and Tristan sooner if we head that way," I suggested, pointing in the direction that was in the opposite way Kayla had gone. "Do you want to wait or start walking to find them?" She considered the two options for a moment before she replied.

"It'll be quicker if we go to find them, that way all four of us will meet in the middle." I nodded briefly in agreement before taking the lead, and the two of us walked alongside the tracks at a decent speed, eager to meet up with our friends and get on the plane to Florida.

And while we walked, I could hear Téa pushing buttons on her cell phone, ready to call Ryo back and tell him who we'd seen just a moment ago.

"Hello, Ryo?"

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> ...Is this a cliffhanger? ...I don't think so. Also, I apologize if Bakura's acting strange, but I thought it fit since Tiikeri's a very trustworthy person.

**Ryo:** Have you replied to your reviews yet?

**AGKamon:** I was just about to.

_**VintageStardust -**_I love caramel~ But anyway, yeah, I was trying to make that last chapter all sad and heart-wrenching - so I'm glad I succeeded in that. I don't even know where this is going half the time; the plot just writes itself. The thought of being around all those older students makes me a bit nervous - not to mention the fact that I fear that I won't be able to write/draw as much - but I'm hoping I'll have a decent freshman year. You know, when it starts. I love Ouran, and I _will_ write an Ouran fic someday. Someday. Anyway, thanks for reviewing~

_**sorcecess of the nile -** _Whoo! Anyway, yeah, Kayla's looking for revenge and answers. I'm hoping it will be interesting, and at least Bakura's not completely gone, right? Thanks for the review~

_**SerenePanic**_** -** I didn't kill him; I simply stole his soul. And I kept both him and Tiikeri in the authoress' notes because they're still appearing, just as spirit-y souls, and I want to keep writing them throughout the fic so I don't have a hard time with their characters and personalities later when they appear again. I like cliffhangers~ they keep you on your toes, but thanks for reviewing!

_**Kuraki-chan -**_You, of all people, should have known this was coming. After all, you helped me with the duel, so you knew Bakura was going to lose, but I guess that just means I did a wonderful job writing his loss. And, I didn't enjoy the idea of taking Bakura's soul either, but it all fits into the story line. Not to mention that Kayla needed a real push to go after Dartz and The Great Leviathan - besides Tiikeri losing her soul. Despite all the sadness in your review, I seriously starting smiling while reading it. And anyway, thanks for reviewing, and Bakura isn't completely out of the story. He's just like, a wandering soul, kind of like a ghost!

**AGKamon:** And thanks to _**SerenePanic**_ for adding me to her favorite authors and for adding this fic to her story alert and favorite story lists.

**Bakura:** It seems that one of our reviewers would have preferred Marik losing his soul... *smirks*

**Marik:** Wh-what? Hey! _**Kuraki-chan**_, that's not cool!

**Tiikeri:** Marik, calm down, I'm sure that AG never even considered that.

**Kayla:** *looks over drafts* She's got a point; AG always planned to have Tiikeri lose the duel.

**Marik:** *sighs* That's kind of a relief.

**AGKamon:** Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and keep on reading and reviewing!


	17. That Feeling Tugging On Your Brain

**AGKamon: **Sorry for the wait, everybody! I got some seriously horrible writers' block about three-quarters of the way through this chapter. I think it's a bit shorter than usual, but I actually like the ending of this one.

**Ryo:** Can I not say the disclaimer this time?

**Bakura:** As long as it's not me.

**Marik:** Or me.

**Tiikeri:** Kayla?

**Kayla:** Fine. AGKamon18 doesn't own anything related to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. She only owns her OC's, myself and Tiikeri Toroso.

**AGKamon:** Enjoy~

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

Motorcycle slowing to a stop, I turned as the speed decreased, halting the bike so I was facing the road I'd just come from. The sun was pounding down, making me sweat despite my light clothing. Sighing deeply, I leaning forward tiredly, elbows resting on the handlebars of the dark-colored motorbike and my chin resting in my palms. While doing so, I watched the road with eyes that I found were hard to keep open.

"Ugh, how long are they going to take?" I growled to myself, wishing that I could put this entire ordeal behind me and never look back. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for in trying to find Dartz again.

I didn't want revenge, no matter how much the need to make him feel the pain he's put everyone I knew though tugged at me, I didn't want to seek revenge.

Was it answers that I was searching for? Perhaps. Now that I had some time to think it over, I did have some questions for that sea-foam-haired slime ball. It was now obvious to me that me meeting Valon that day had not been an accident, so, why had it been me? Why Tiikeri?

My thought train came to a screeching halt - I could almost hear the squealing of its brakes in my mind - when I noticed something cold touching the side of my arm and looked down curiously, grabbing the revealed object.

"Oh…" I vaguely remembered this necklace; it used to have that green stone - the Orichalcos? - Dartz had given Tiikeri and I embedded in it. However, I noted as I studied the expensive object closer, that the little stone wasn't there anymore, and I frowned more deeply than I had been previously.

Unhooking the golden clasp and removing the piece of jewelry from my neck, I considered my options briefly before dropping the necklace in the pouch that hung by my waist. I could sell it - along with this motorcycle and this outfit - once Bakura and Tiikeri had their souls back in their bodies.

With my two fallen friends now in my thoughts, I sighed sadly and returned to my waiting. I pushed the clamor of the people around me rushing to and fro inside the small airport nearby out of my mind, wanting to be left in silence so I could wander and sort through my thoughts in peace.

While I normally would have welcomed the noise, it buzzed in my ears and left me irritated while I tried to drive my feelings away from the nagging sense of guilt that tugged on my heart. I wanted to make it up to Bakura and the others for putting them through so much trouble, wanted to actually apologize to Tiikeri for what I said.

However, I really didn't want to get myself feeling down at the current moment because I knew that none of them would want me to do that. Especially not now, when I had something that I should be doing that needed my attention.

And so, I yawned and tried my best to follow that one piece of knowledge, attempting to not fall asleep while I waited for my associates.

* * *

><p><span>Marik's P.O.V.<span>

As soon as Ryo and I deposited Bakura's body on the hotel bed next to Tiikeri's equally still one, I sighed in relief and collapsed in the armchair sitting in the corner of the room. Ra, who'd been carrying Tiikeri all on her own, sat on the edge of the bed they were resting on.

"I'll go pay the woman at the front desk," Ryo announced quietly, his footsteps sounding oddly loud on the plush carpet as he left the room and shut the door behind him gently. For a while, the room continued to be silent - completely silent - and I took the time to catch my breath.

"Hey Ra, can I ask you something?" I questioned, eyes wandering the walls of the admittedly small room before they eventually landed on Tiikeri's still form, but quickly traveled to Ra.

* * *

><p>"…<em>I know you'll come back, you always do…"<em>

* * *

><p>"Of course." Her hands fidgeted almost uncontrollably, and she hid that fact by attempting to straighten the clothes Bakura and Tiikeri were wearing.<p>

"When you spoke with Tiikeri in her dreams, why'd you take _my _form?"

"The two of you had a common factor from your pasts. I thought that - because humans are able to sense many things they can't normally in their dreams - she'd trust me more easily." The golden-haired Egyptian God laughed lightly, but I thought I heard an almost sad tone to it. "Though, now I feel quite horrible about fooling her for so long; I can only hope she'll understand and forgive me when she finds out."

"…What 'common factor?'" I looked from Ra to Tiikeri, trying to find a similarity between us. Sure, she had a few scars on her, but she could have gotten those in a lot of ways.

"You were both…hurt by your families." Smiling softly in a manner that I absolutely despised, Ra gently removed the golden armbands adorning the copper-headed girl's forearms and placed them on the nightstand nearby.

At seeing the clearly visible lines crisscrossing the previously covered skin, I rose to my feet. Quietly, as if fearing she'd awaken if I was too loud, I made my way over to where Ra was sitting, noting that the scars - both on her face and arms - reminded me of slashes of some sort. Gently, I brushed my fingertips over the marks.

"…Is that why I felt such a pull towards her when we actually met?" I asked absentmindedly, tracing a scar that ran from her wrist to elbow, and I was surprised by the sound of Ra's soft giggling. Perplexed, I shifted my gaze and stared at the blue-eyed immortal in confusion.

"I'm not sure, but perhaps it is." Her eyes sparkled, full of amusement, and I simply shook my head as she attempted to quiet her laughter. She was an Egyptian God, who knew what she was laughing at.

* * *

><p><span>Kayla's P.O.V.<span>

The sun was beginning to set - giving me relief from the unbearable heat - before I finally spotted my new associates and dismounted my motorcycle, stretching.

"I apologize for taking so long," the Pharaoh stated, approaching me, his friends close behind.

"I'd really appreciate if you stopped sucking up to me; it's getting a bit annoying, Pharaoh. Have our travel arrangements been made?" I asked, taking off my helmet and setting it on the seat as I shook my hair out. After doing so, I headed for the airport.

"Hey, wait just a second! Didn't she trick us before? Are ya' sure she's not lyin' again?" an accented voice inquired suspiciously. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the blond - Joey, I believed - looking at me with quite the accusing glint in his eyes. Sighing, I turned back around to face them.

"It doesn't concern me whether you trust me or not; honestly, I couldn't care less, but I need to get some answers from Dartz, and the Pharaoh agreed to lend a hand if I wanted help," I explained and held back a yawn. "If I can, I'll help you all out with defeating Dartz and the rest of Doma. I just want this whole thing to be over."

"How do we know that this ain't a trap?" he questioned, crossing his arms defiantly.

"I quit Doma. Dartz wouldn't want me around anyways, and if you're referring to Bakura, his soul's been taken, so - for now - he's out of commission."

"Tch, fine, but don't try anythin'." He seemed agitated, and I decided not to hold his distrust against him like I was doing with the Pharaoh; after all, I wasn't going to be hanging around these people very often, so it didn't matter to me whether they trusted me or not.

"Well, Joey, I trust her. I spoke to Ryo; he trusts her, and he clearly knows her better than we do," Tea remarked, huffing and striding over to stand next to me.

"As do I," the Pharaoh added, and I mentally rolled my eyes. Of course he would say that, with him trying to get back on my good side and all. Even with what they were saying, I shrugged uncaringly and turned back towards the airport once again.

"Believe me or not, I don't care, as I said. However, I'm offering to assist you for the time being, and I'd certainly take that offer if I were you." I opened the glass door and stepped inside. "But let's discuss everything else on the plane, alright?"

I got a few nods in response as I held the door open for the group, all of us entering the airport that now seemed to be pretty much empty. Most of the lights were dimmed, except for a few towards the back of the building, where I suspected there might be offices of some sort. Silently, as if he didn't want to disturb whoever was still here, the Pharaoh motioned to us, leading us towards the doors that provided an entrance to the air strip.

We all stepped out onto the asphalt as the roaring of the engine belonging to a large airplane filled our ears. I winced, covering my ears as the plane came within sight. It was adorned with images containing the same logo.

Kaiba Corporation.

"Huh, the rich jerk again. Oh fun," I grumbled. However, I thought that, seeing as I knew the Pharaoh and Kaiba weren't exactly friends, there was a bigger reason as to why he would be assisting us with a flight to Florida. Most likely, that reason had to do with Dartz. I pressed harder on my ears, trying to block out the unbearable noise of the engine as the aircraft landed, a set of stairs descending from the door to the concrete ground.

As the engine stalled to a halt, the door opened, and a young boy with bushy black peered out, waving to us. The tall brunette didn't show, not that I minded. Still silent, the Pharaoh, his friends, and I boarded the airplane, and the stairs retracted when the last of us stepped into the machine. Instantly, my eyes spotted a body topped with a head of bright red hair resting limply in a seat.

"Seems like Dartz got you too, Alister, huh?" I sighed, strolling over to the soulless husk of the young man and sitting in the seat across from him. "A shame, aside from your attitude, you seemed like an okay guy."

Obviously, I was met with silence. Unsure of what else to say, I sat back and listened to the chatter of the Pharaoh speaking with the Kaiba brothers, one of the former's friends occasionally piping in with a comment. I let out a breath; this whole situation was a mess, I concluded as my eyes shifted to look out the window. The engine started up again, and the ground slowly began to fall away as the plane lifted off.

"Friend of yours?" I jumped, looking away from the grayish sky and into the blue eyes of one Téa Gardner.

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to her completely in order to have my attention on her.

"Him." She pointed to Alister's soulless body. "Was he a friend of yours?" I chuckled bitterly, and there was no humor in the sound.

"Not likely. Alister really didn't seem to like anyone, let alone me." I paused, glancing at the red-haired young man again. "Actually, now that I think about it, we didn't really even talk. I mostly hung around Tiikeri, looking for Bakura, and he was off doing stuff like bothering Kaiba. But, nonetheless, he seemed okay, from the few interactions we had."

"Speaking of Bakura, I thought you two got along, why did you duel him like that?" I sighed, rubbing at my eyes. I really needed some sleep before we got to Florida. "You don't have to tell me, though! I'm just…kind of confused; the two of you seemed close."

"No, no, it's fine; I'm just tired. I haven't slept since that duel, after all. Soon after Battle City concluded, certain incidents led to me falling into a rather depressing state of mind. Throughout life, I've always run away from my problems, so that's what I did; I ran off. I left Marik and Ryo behind; they were probably worried sick. That's when I met Valon, from Doma; he offered me companionship and someone to talk to, with no strings attached." I frowned. "I should have known better. Tiikeri and I met then, as she'd been taken in by Doma at around the same time. We were pretty much forced to join."

"How so?" Téa wondered, seeming truly interested in what I had to say.

"Either we joined them, or had our souls stolen; we'd already seen their faces, so they wouldn't let us go, obviously. My anger consumed me afterwards, and I began to think that Bakura had betrayed me somehow, that he needed to pay dearly for whatever I thought he had done." My fists clenched tightly as I swallowed deeply. "He hadn't done anything but help me. I wish I'd realized that before."

I was surprised by the sensation of my hand being patted lightly, as a form of comfort. Her eyes seemed saddened, as if she suddenly understood a lot more about the entire situation now. My heart felt lighter, as if I'd suddenly gotten a heavy weight off of my chest.

"Hey, it's not like you really wanted to, right?" She smiled at me pleasantly. I managed to give her a small smile back as I nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." She rose to her feet, beginning to walk over to join her friends but not before turning back to look at me.

"Get some sleep. We won't arrive in Florida for about another day, so you have the time." I nodded in response.

"Alright, thank you…" My reply trailed off, even though there was nothing left to say. She simply went on her way, oblivious to the words that some part of me wanted to say. However, I didn't even know what those words were.

_Well, might as well take her advice and try to get some rest. I'll probably need it._

* * *

><p><span>Valon's P.O.V.<span>

I awoke with a start, almost as if I'd been shaken awake.

"Oh, you're up." My ears perked up; I knew that wonderful voice well.

"Ah, Mai, my dear! What happened?" I asked, sitting up on the ragged sofa and smiling at her. She scoffed, a frown adorning her beautiful face, as usual.

"How should I know? Dartz told me to sit here and make sure you didn't run off anywhere. He's got plans, I'm sure." She crossed her arms over her chest and rose to her feet, heading for the door. "But now that you're up, I'm not needed here. Your duel disk and deck are on the table." With that, she was gone, and my smile melded into a frown.

Still, that didn't give me an answer. I felt like there was something that was missing, as if I were forgetting something extremely important. Wondering where I was, I stood and made my way over to the window, looking at…a beach?

"This definitely isn't the old headquarters…" I noted; the previous headquarters was located in California, in the middle of an almost desert-like area. Then again, it wasn't unusual for us to move locations every once in a while. My thought process, however, was interrupted by the door opening, and I turned to see who was there.

"It's good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Dartz asked pleasantly.

"Fine, why do ya' ask?" A strange tug in my heart told me to be suspicious of the man who had been like a savior to me, and I felt confused on why I would feel such a way.

"Oh, on the flight here, you seemed ill. I'd asked Ms. Valentine to look after you, but now it seems you're just fine." For some reason, that statement didn't sit right with me. Almost as if there was a sensor in the back of mind telling me he was lying, but, I'd never had a reason before to distrust Dartz, so I stomped down the feeling and assumed that maybe I still felt a little under the weather.

"Well, then, I appreciate you coming here to see me, sir," I replied, and I swallowed thickly at the sour taste I got in my mouth by calling him 'sir.' He left, and I turned back to the window. I was forgetting something; there was something that I'd forgotten. I was sure of it, but what could it be?

Shaking my head, I snatched up my duel disk and snapped it onto my wrist. It felt too tight, like it'd been made for a person smaller than me. As I picked up my deck, I stared at the cards intently, shuffling through them quickly. Maybe I was missing one of my cards?

"…No, they're all here." I inserted the deck of cards into their proper place in the duel disk, mentally thinking that the little 'click' that rang out, saying that my cards were all in place, sounded too high-pitched. Everything felt wrong, felt off somehow.

I must be forgetting something _really_ important.

Even with that feeling tugging at every part of me, I left the room, knowing that I probably wasn't going to find out what it was if I stayed here. Perhaps I could ask someone about it. Raphael? He seemed like my best bet out of them all.

After all, Mai didn't seem to know anything, and with my brain distrusting everything Dartz said, I wasn't sure I could make myself believe anything he said. My steps echoed on the stone floor, and it rang in my ears annoyingly. My breathing seemed heavy to my own ears when I was sure that I wasn't actually breathing that hard.

_Something, something. Something's missing here. I know that, but what is it?_

As I wracked my brain for answers, my eyes scanned the hallways, looking for a tall man with a head of dull blond hair. The passages were so utterly silent, and it made me nervous, almost as if there was something waiting for me that I should know about.

_Had I really been ill? Or was Dartz lying?_

I shook my head again. That was nonsense. Dartz had been making sure I didn't end up in jail; he'd gotten me out of that juvenile detention center so long ago, helped me make sure that my life wasn't one where I spent half my time in jail. What reason did he have to lie about something as minor as me feeling ill on a plane? He'd been like a father to me.

Something in my memory sparked with that train of thought. _Father._

_A family member? I don't have any family. Someone like family?_

Someone like family. That seemed right. Someone I was close to. It was definitely a some_one_ and not a some_thing_. At least I had that much information now. Although, a certain part of me questioned, if this person was so important, how did I forget them so easily?

"Something wrong, Valon?" I jumped, looking up and seeing the person I was looking for. "You're clutching your head."

_I hadn't realized._

"Yeah, listen Raph, am I forgetting anything? Did we lose a member or somethin'? I feel like I'm forgetting something, and it's driving me crazy."

"Yes. We actually lost two of our members recently. Those girls we brought in, remember?"

_Girls, girls? I only remember one girl._

"But…I only remember one."

* * *

><p><strong>AGKamon:<strong> I seriously could not figure what to write for any of the main characters, so I decided to try writing Valon, and it worked!

**Kayla:** Reply time?

**AGKamon:** Oh yeah.

_**SerenePanic -**_Thank you for reviewing, and you're welcome for the explanation! Yeah, Bakura is a bit different from his completely canon personality, but that's mostly because - as Yami Bakura was never really shown caring about anyone but himself - Picking Sides!Bakura is highly influenced by my own personal headcanons. Thanks for adding me to your favorite authors as well!

_**sorecess of the nile -**_Thank you very much~!

_**Kuraki-chan -**_Sorry for not updating soon, Kuraki, but writers' block is a serious pain these days! There's even more stuff going down now, with Valon and all. Thanks for reviewing!

**AGKamon:** And thank you to _**Mariklover222** _for adding me to their favorite authors, to _**zeinaseira** _for adding _Neutral_ to their favorite stories, and to _**Bandia** _for adding _On the Holiday Side_ to their favorite stories. As for those headcanons I mentioned, if you're interested, there's a list of my headcanons for all of the various Bakura characters throughout the series on my deviantART. There's a link to my dA account on my profile~

**Bakura:** Well that explains a lot.

**Ryo:** There's so few headcanons for me...

**AGKamon:** That's only because I am yet to think of more.

**Tiikeri:** Marik, will you sign us out?

**Marik:** Read and review, and we hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	18. Author's Note

Today is July 6, 2013 and I have made a decision, my dear readers.

It's something that's been a long time coming, and I've known this for a while in the back of my mind, but it's only now that I've accepted it. I must apologize for not making some sort of notice sooner and keeping you all waiting.

I officially mark my hiatus as starting today. It's indefinite, as I have largely lost my will to write and instead have found myself much more entertained with my art and improving on that. I wish that I didn't have to announce this, that I could still go on and finish this story at least, provide it and all of you some sort of closure. However, that's not possible these days.

If I tried to finish this story, I'd only end up forcing myself to write chapters that would be terrible quality, and I would feel horrible for posting them because I know that all of you who have even flicked an eyelash at my writing deserve more than that. For that, I am sorry.

Please know that I am thankful for all of you who have read this. This account has been the very roots of my character and story creation, and, as of now, I'm slowing developing original characters for a completely original story that I will present as a comic. Without this account, I would have never learned anything about what creates a good character, what should I avoid, what's been done to death, and so on.

Not only that, but having this account, posting my stories, and getting all this feedback from everyone has boosted my confidence more than I could imagine. When I started writing, my confidence was terribly low, and I had very little confidence in my abilities; it took a lot of courage for me to post anything. Getting all of this feedback has helped me quite a lot, honestly.

Writing these stories and having this account has also introduced me to some of my closest friends as well as strengthening my relationship with friends I already had. That, I am also extremely thankful for.

Now, this doesn't mean I'll never come back to finish these stories.

I adore _Picking the Bad Side_, as well as the other stories I had in this little series. I even had more planned, and I wish dearly that I could have lasted long enough to write and finish those as well. Both Kayla and Tiikeri are characters that I love dearly. Kayla especially means a lot to me, as she is my character who's gotten the most notoriety and been the most well-received. I've even had some people draw Kayla fan art, which was quite an honor.

However, looking over both this story and the prequel, _Neutral_, I realize that even if I had continued, my writing has improved and "matured" quite a bit since the last chapter, and I feel it would have been odd to have that sudden jump in improvement from one chapter to another. My perception of various characters – including Kayla and Tiikeri – has also changed quite a bit, and now I would have written certain characters much differently.

Honestly, I wish I could rewrite _Neutral_, _Picking the Bad Side_, as well as the couple side stories I've got posted here. I love this series so much, and I just want it to get better. If I had the chance, I would especially change the way I've portrayed Tiikeri, as I've realized now – after some deep thinking and character analysis – that the character I originally intended to pair her up with, Marik, doesn't fit with her personality nearly as much as I thought he did when I first started _PtBS_.

The possibility of me rewriting this series is not out of the question completely. I do hope that one day I can regain my love for writing, come back, and rewrite everything so it's better and more to my current standards.

I'm deeply sorry for having to write this message, and I was putting it off in hopes that I could squeeze a chapter out, but I can't. Honestly, looking back at the last few chapters I'd written for any of my stories - but this one seemed to suffer from it the most – the characters were far from in-character, and I hated it. So, if my chapters were going to keep descending in quality until they became something that I didn't want them to be – something terrible, a horrible out-of-character mess that no one would have liked seeing – I'm glad that I'm stopping while I'm ahead.

As I stated earlier, I'm working on an original story and because it will be a comic, I will be posting it on my deviantART. Also, even though I've stopped writing these stories, it certainly doesn't mean I'll stop drawing these characters because I still adore them all, so my activity will be focused both on there and my Tumblr account. I have the same username on both accounts, and you can find links on my profile if you're interested or want to keep updated on whatever I'm working on because you'll rarely find me here anymore unless you message me.

All in all, I'm thankful for those of you who have read even a single letter I have written. I'm sorry that it has to end like this, and I hope that this won't be a permanent goodbye and that I can come back someday and surprise you all with updates and probably me rewriting everything because by then I'll have probably improved my writing even more. If you continue to follow me on other websites, I hope that I'll have your support in my future endeavors.

Sincerely, AGKamon18


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